


The Idea of March

by chawanmushii



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Developing Relationship, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Pining, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-11-07 19:27:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 31,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17966594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chawanmushii/pseuds/chawanmushii
Summary: Follows monthlyklance's March 2019 prompts wherein each chapter of this story will correspond to the theme for the day. Features a re-telling of the series from beginning until end but with multiple twists. What if things had gone the other way? Diverges from canon fairly early on. Summary and tags will be updated as the story progresses.---Or, in a universe where Keith and Lance fall in love and the team still saves the world.





	1. Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own any rights to Voltron or its characters. This is a fan-work. Dedicated to @lilyshadowwriter for inspiring this!

They started off on the wrong foot.

“Who are you?”

“Who am I? The name’s Lance?”

When Keith continued to show no signs of recognition, the other boy’s expression turns disgruntled as he proceeded to explain exactly who he was and Keith distinctly recalls the few cargo pilots who used to be in his Garrison classes. Since Keith was never one to pay much attention in classes, it was no wonder that he couldn’t remember someone who apparently used to be a classmate. This was even more so after Shiro’s disappearance and his resulting uncontrolled anger problems which eventually got him booted from the Garrison. It was a bad chapter in his life and Keith hardly remembers much of it anymore, his mind automatically blocking out memories from then as a sort of self-defense mechanism to protect himself.

After all that, naturally, Keith didn’t think he was going to see anyone from the Garrison ever again.

Who would have thought that mere months later, he would be told to fight in an intergalactic space war with a team made up entirely of Garrison cadets save for Shiro? Fate certainly works in mysterious ways.

\---

“Dibs!” Lance yells, bumping Keith out of the way and planting himself in the exact seat at the dining table which Keith had been heading for.

Keith grits his teeth, rubbing at the shoulder which Lance had roughly shoved past. It was barely past the equivalent of noontime of their first day living on the Castleship after retrieving the Lions but Keith was already at his limit. “You’re doing that on purpose!”

“Doing what?”

“First, you called ‘dibs’ on the room I was going to pick, then ‘dibs’ on the shower stall I was getting into last night and ‘dibs’ on the _mother fu—_ (“ _Keith!_ ” Shiro reprimands over his cursing) – training programme I was about to run this morning! Stop taking the things I want out of spite!”

“What are you talking about? I’m doing no such thing.” Lance blinks innocently but the smirk on his lips belies his statement. “Not my fault if you’re always one step behind me. You snooze you lose, Mullet-boy.”

“You—!”

“Guys, enough.” Shiro steps in between them. “Keith, leave it. And Lance, stop picking fights with your teammate. We need to get back to training as soon as we can. There are more important things on our plate right now.”

“Yeah, like _lunch_!” Hunk moans, plopping down on the seat next to Lance whilst Pidge took the empty one at the end of the table, grumbling about aching limbs and bruised knees and how she’d always hated P.E. and _what_ was she training for again?

“Now, now, settle down!” Coran calls out, pulling up beside Allura – the Altean princess whom they’d recently met alongside Coran – who was already seated at the head of the dining table, numerous plates laden with delicious smelling food balanced expertly in his hands and arms. Shiro takes the seat between Allura and Hunk, leaving Keith with only one option – the one between Pidge and… Lance.

Scowling, he takes the seat grumpily, doing all he can to hold back the urge of punching that triumphant look deep into Lance’s face. 

Once they were all seated, Coran sets the plates down on the table, revealing a variety of strangely shaped alien food. For one gold dobosh, they all hesitated (except for Allura: _“Oh, Coran, you remembered! This Falbagoras Fruit-Bug is my absolute favourite!”_ ) until Hunk digs in bravely, hunger winning over whatever qualms he may have had. A few munches later, he announces that the food is “so good!”, prompting a wary-looking Shiro and a disgusted-looking Pidge to attempt a bite – neither seemed to have the positive reaction to the food like Hunk had, but at least they weren’t spitting it out.

With a sigh, Keith lifts his fork and aims at one of the long-ish, red pieces of what looked like sausages lying in the plate in front of him. Just as he was about to jab into his chosen piece of food, a blurred hand swipes past right before his eyes and then it was gone.

Livid, Keith turns to the owner of said hand and almost snarls.

“Mnhngh _… deeebs_!” Lance grins gleefully between munches, revealing partly-chewed strips of red from the ‘sausage’ Keith had been aiming for.      

From further down the table, Keith catches Shiro eyeing them both. It takes all his will power not to commit murder on the spot and instead, forcing himself to turn back to the plate of food and snatching up the first thing he sees – doesn’t matter what or which anymore – tearing furiously into the alien food.

The journey ahead was going to be a long one and they were already off to a horrible start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story will tackle several plot points (and different takes and divergences of it) which I wish had been addressed. At present, this is still a WIP so if there was something you wish you could have seen too then let me know! The plan is to update this every day but in any event, I intend to finish all prompts! Each chapter will correspond to the prompt of the day and at the end of the month, we will have a complete story. Stay tuned and do feel free to leave a comment!


	2. Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glimpse into the past sheds some light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any rights to Voltron or its characters. This is a fan-work.

_“Here.”_

_“Hmmh?”_

_“This is for you.” Lance says, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks as he holds out his gift to the other boy. A small but pretty bundle of exactly 6 stalks of red roses, packaged up nicely with purple sheaves of wrapping and a royal-blue ribbon._

_Today was February the 14 th. _

_The day Lance finally mustered enough courage to approach the enigmatic boy who was top of his piloting class and the boy who had been haunting Lance’s dreams at night with increasing frequency._

_It takes a while but the boy finally pulls his eyes away from the book he had been reading long enough to blink at the bundle, eyebrows furrowing in confusion._

_“What’s this?” Keith asks after a pause. He doesn’t even bother to look up at Lance but turns back to his book._

_“Uh… they’re flowers?” Lance fidgets uncomfortably, fingers twitching and rustling the wrapping. He wished Keith would at least look at him. But then again, he also wished he wouldn’t._

_“For?”_

_For? Lance feels his stomach sink, losing some of his nerve._

_“F … for you?” Lance thinks maybe he isn’t saying the right things because Keith still isn’t looking at him and maybe Lance needs to explain himself better but, oh, what if maybe Keith didn’t like his explanation? And suddenly Lance thinks this is all a very bad idea._

_“Why would anyone give me flowers?”_

_Lance struggles to find his voice, hands trembling but still, he hangs on to hope. “B..because it’s Valentine’s day?”_

_Keith’s eyes fleet to meet Lance’s momentarily and Lance’s breath catches in his throat but then Keith is scrunching his nose in distaste and looking away and shit, this isn’t looking good at all and Lance is sure he’s fucked it all up now._

_“Oh, I see.” Keith says in a low tone. It bordered on annoyance._

_Lance was already grimacing when Keith simply sidesteps him, burying his nose deeper into his book. “Sorry, but I’m not into that kind of thing.”_

_Lance freezes, unable to react as the words sank in. Keith doesn’t notice though, having already started walking away._

_“Thanks for the delivery but you can return those to the girl who sent it. Tell her I’m not interested.”_

\---

Lance blinks himself awake, frowning in confusion at the not-so-familiar ceiling before he remembers where he was – on an alien spaceship gearing up for war.

It’s been awhile since he’d last dreamt about the events of _those_ dratted days – Keith certainly had no memory of it, he made that clear when they saved Shiro together – so Lance wonders why he’s suddenly recalling them now. And then it hits him.

“Ugh, ‘ _bonding’_ exercises.” His eyes roll at the mere thought of it.

The team had been having trouble consistently forming Voltron and the solution to this was apparently for everyone to meld their brains together, which allowed them to see into each other’s thoughts and deepest secrets.

Seriously now, who _wouldn’t_ hate that?

Luckily for Lance, if there is one thing he was good at, it was keeping secrets.

He’s faring pretty well on that front, not having revealed anything he doesn’t want to reveal yet. Or at least, he’s definitely doing better than Pidge, which makes him feel pretty proud.

Anyway, he figures these sudden flashbacks from the past were happening because of all this digging around in his mind everyone has been doing in the name of training. Speaking of which, he needed to get ready for it.

With a grunt, he pushes himself up and off the comforts of his bed and prepares for another day of brain-picking.

If anyone asks why he was being extra petty to Keith later that day, he simply tells them they’re imagining things.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, in my mind (for this fic anyway), Keith is a self-absorbed dumbass during his Garrison days who thought Lance was delivering Valentine flowers to him on behalf of a girl.


	3. Desert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, Keith thinks about his life back in the desert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any rights to Voltron or its characters. This is a fan-work.

Sometimes, Keith thinks about his life back in the desert. After getting booted from the Garrison and with Shiro gone (meaning there was no one else around who cared enough to know what he was doing), he had somehow found himself back in front of the old shack he and his dad used to stay in. It was old and abandoned, but still livable.  

Months had passed and yet, no one came knocking on his door (affirming Keith’s belief that nobody cared) so he was left relatively alone. Other than running the occasional errand to get food from the nearest town, he never needed to make contact with anyone, spending most of his time wandering the desert aimlessly (which was further spurred by the strange urges he got to search for ‘ _something’_ out there) with nothing for company except for his good ol’ hoverbike and miles upon miles of barren land.

Up until Shiro’s reappearance, it had been an awfully quiet but peaceful life. Which Keith had been fine with, mostly. He liked his peace and quiet.

_BOOM!_

“BULLS EYE!” Lance’s shrill voice pierces the air as he strikes a victory pose. “Did you guys see that?! I hit that drone right between its eyes!”

“Do drones have eyes?” Hunk asks earnestly from where he sat resting.

“I suppose sensors could pass as the robot equivalent to eyes,” Pidge shrugs beside him, not bothering to take her own eyes off the computer in her lap.

“Ha-ha, very funny. You guys have no appreciation for the finer things in life.”

“That’s lovely, Lance,” Allura joins in on their conversation and Keith watches in mild irritation as Lance breaks out into a goofy grin before the grin freezes when she continues, “Now, how about raising the difficulty level of the training drones to something that’s above the lowest?”

Pidge and Hunk snigger as Lance protests. “Aw, c’mon Princess! We just got done saving a whole-ass Balmera! I think we all deserve a little break!”

“I believe the _Princess_ is the one who did most of the Balmera-saving,” Pidge points out. “We spent half the time hiding before managing to form a somewhat coherent plan and even then, _we_ weren’t the ones who stopped the rampaging Robeast. That was the Balmera.”

“So technically, the _Balmera_ saved _us_ ,” Hunk nods in agreement.

“Gee,” Lance stares at the both of them with dead eyes. “You guys sure know how to poop a party, huh.”

Keith couldn’t help it. He snorts. It was a small noise, barely audible, but of course Lance is instantly on his case.

“What’s that, Keith? You got something to say?”

“No. Everything’s been said already.”

“Yeah? Then you should be aware that _you’re_ not doing any better than _me_!”

“Never said I was.”

“Well, you’re _sure_ acting like it!”

“Enough,” Shiro cuts in with an exasperated sigh, stepping up from behind Keith where he had been taking his water break. “ _All_ of us need to do better. As paladins of the Lions of Voltron, we _all_ need to improve – this last battle has shown us our weaknesses and we should learn our lessons from it. Look at the Princess.”

They all turn to see Allura smacking a training bot into oblivion. The set difficulty level was a mere 2 bars below the hardest level (which was 10). Save for Shiro, none of the other paladins have even gotten past level 5. Plus, Allura was supposed to be _weakened_ , having exhausted herself to save the Balmera.  

“Let’s get back to work, guys.” 

United in silent agreement, no one said anything more and returned to training. All was quiet again save for the sounds of clashing weapons until Keith accidentally swings his sword a little too close to Lance.

“Hey, watch it, Mullet!”

“If you moved a little faster then it wouldn’t have come as close as it did!”

“Wha— are you saying I’m _slow_?!”

“I didn’t say it, you did.”

And all hell breaks loose.

Keith smirks, ragging back and forth with an incensed Lance as they continued battling their respective training bots, which had now teamed up to circle around them. Lance was shooting out cover fire as Keith struck at anything that came too close to them. Their teamwork was by no means perfect and he and Lance still bantered like children all the time but things were a bit different now compared to when they’d first started out. Now, with some semblance of experience under their belts, Keith knew they could be a good team when it really came down to it. They _had_ bonded after all (though Lance still refused to admit it and Keith still refused to believe he’d forgotten). Besides, pressing Lance’s buttons was pretty entertaining. The Cuban’s reactions were always so loud and dramatic and Keith found it amusing. Most of the time anyway, as long as he wasn’t being overly obnoxious.

And so, sometimes, Keith thinks about his life in the present, and how it was so lively now with a whole six other persons staying in such close quarters. In the Castle of Lions, with all the training and meetings and Galra-fighting they had to do, Keith almost _never_ had time or space to himself. Despite the sheer size of the Altean spaceship, bumping into one of the other six happened so often that it didn’t surprise him anymore. Moreover, if he even so much as stepped one toe out of a room, Lance was sure to notice _(“Where are you going, Mullet?” “Training again? Haven’t you heard the phrase ‘let chill and be chill’?”_ No, Keith hasn’t heard of that phrase but doesn’t bother answering). He ignores Lance most of the time but it’s clear that Lance was always hyper-aware of his every move, as obsessed as he was with their ‘rivalry’ (Keith still didn’t know how that even came about). Lance _cared_ , albeit in his own weird and antagonistic way and that meant something to Keith, even if Lance didn’t know it.

Regardless, it certainly meant that his life was no longer quiet or peaceful – not that having a quiet or peaceful life was possible anymore since becoming a paladin of Voltron.  

When he thinks about it and after having been left alone for so long, Keith realizes he should find this sudden change in lifestyle jarring. Off-putting. Something that should have caused him whiplash several times over.

But it does not.

Instead, he finds himself rapidly getting used to it (if he wasn’t already). Having people around was actually kind of… nice. Comforting. Sure, Keith still liked having his own private time (which he’s recently discovered to be achievable if he stays long enough in the training room after normal training hours) but having the others around wasn’t so bad. Keith finds he doesn’t mind their company.

“Keith! _You almost sliced my foot off!_ ” Lance yells, immediately launching into an endless string of complaints and Keith has to hide his smirk because _that_ one was actually intentional.

Yup, Keith doesn’t mind at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are going to start picking up real soon. Stay tuned!


	4. Crush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Allura disappear together during the night. Lance isn't happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any rights to Voltron or its characters. This is a fan-work.

Lance is tired. They all are.

Somehow or other, Zarkon has been tracking the Castleship for the past couple of weeks, insistently pursuing them in his quest for the Black Lion and Voltron, leaving them with no time to rest.

He’s already exhausted. And cranky. So when he hears that Allura and Keith have disappeared somewhere while everyone else was catching up on some much needed sleep, he does NOT take too nicely to it.

“Come back to the Castle immediately!” Shiro was saying over their linked comms but Keith and Allura were refusing (the nerve of them!), saying something about needing to know whether _they_ were the ones Zarkon was tracking. It was such an absurd notion (not to mention narcissistic and conceited) that Lance glowers and almost explodes, fully intent on vocalizing his less-than-polite views but holds his tongue in respect for Shiro as their leader and trusting him to know how to best handle the situation. Mere moments after, they find themselves caught in a debris field where Taujeer should have been and all opportunities to speak up was lost in favour of more urgent things.

It was only much later when they’d successfully saved the Taujeerians and Shiro had deduced that Zarkon was tracking them via the Black Lion when Lance had time to reflect. 

Keith and Allura had already apologized to everyone for their selfish actions but Lance didn’t feel any better. He was troubled and unreasonably annoyed.

And he’s not sure why.

His bad mood continued to persist in the days following the incident, leaving him broody and sulky, a far cry from his usual animated self. Fortunately, he had the excuse of exhaustion from Zarkon’s continuous attacks to fall back on if anyone asked why he was being so grumpy.

At first, Lance thought maybe it was his usual sense of ‘rivalry’ with Keith kicking in and making him irritable. But it quickly became obvious that it was more than that.

During trainings, he catches himself making meaner comments to Keith. During meals, he finds himself frowning whenever Allura and Keith so much as speak to each other. During missions, he gets all bent out of shape when he hears Allura instructing Keith to do whatever it was she needed Keith or the Red Lion to do.

It came as a jolt when he realized he’s not just mad at Keith.

He’s mad at the _both_ of them.

And his anger wasn’t abating anytime soon.   

He came dangerously close to losing his marbles once – it was during a break and they were all seated in the common area (save for Shiro, who now spent a lot of time trying to bond with Black). When the talk turned to their Lions, Allura broached the topic of that accursed time, unaware of Lance’s ill thoughts for it.

“If Red hadn’t arrived then, we would never have made it back in time to save the Taujeerians.” Allura says wistfully, regret in her eyes at her (in hindsight) irresponsible actions.

“You’d probably still be jet-packing your way back to the Castle,” Hunk comments, sipping at an indigo-coloured drink he made from random ingredients found on various planets – it apparently tasted like a mix of grape and blackberry with a hint of curry. “Or rather, Keith would still be jet-packing you both back to the Castle. Hand-in-hand. With arms around each other. Oh my God, I can’t imagine it.” He snickers.

“The princess and the sword-wielding knight. Or in this case, jet-packing knight.” Pidge waggles her eyebrows at Keith, who sat expressionless beside her with arms crossed, not deigning to respond to her nosy needling.

“I must say, Keith was quite the gentleman,” Allura smiles and Lance feels his right eyebrow ticking uncontrollably. He isn’t sure whether she was genuinely oblivious to Hunk and Pidge’s childish teasing or whether she was simply choosing to ignore it. Or was she just playing along? Or worse, did she actually _mean_ it?

Lance huffs. Maybe aliens worked on a completely different wavelength for these things. 

“Aww, Keith! I never would have thought you had it in you!” Hunk coos.

“I always had the impression number 4 was popular amongst the ladies.” Coran says, pulling at the end of his moustache thoughtfully. “The strong, silent type. A lady-killer they call ‘em!”

Pidge and Hunk bursts into laughter but Lance has had enough, Coran’s last comment triggering unpleasant feelings in him.

“Are you guys for real? Obviously, mullet-boy here doesn’t hold a candle against me!”

“Ooh, is the Tailor feeling a little jealous?” Pidge drawls.

“Of course not! There’s nothing to be jealous about!”

“You _suuuure_ about that?”

“Oh, c’mon Pidge, leave him alone,” Hunk takes pity on him. Placing his now-empty glass on the table, he wraps strong arms around Lance and almost crushes him. “You’re a great guy too, Lance.”

“Damn right I am!” Lance’s voice comes slightly muffled from underneath Hunk’s arms.

Keith snorts. He likes doing that, Lance has noticed. “Feeling threatened, Lance?”

“ _What?_ ”

“That the Princess and I had a bonding moment?”

And for whatever reason, that statement infuriates Lance like nothing else. For a long moment which felt like a lifetime but in reality should have only been a few doboshes, Lance glares at Keith. Those dark eyes were amused, teasing. The same as always.

Lance knows. He _gets_ that it’s just a joke and Keith was taking a jab at him like he always does, even if he was still sore about Lance forgetting their ‘bonding moment’ and was always finding opportunities to rub it in his face (for the record, Lance did not forget but he’ll be damned before he admitted it).

This was just how they worked – Keith and Lance, rivals who teased and poked fun at each other. It was their thing.

But somehow, this time, Lance was not up for it.

Clenching his fists and doing all he can to swallow the sudden unexplainable irritation threatening to boil over, he merely throws Keith an unimpressed look and sinks deeper into Hunk’s bear-hug, looking away adamantly. Fortunately, they drop the topic shortly after that (Hunk, being the sweetie pie he was, must have sensed Lance’s bad mood and started a heated discussion with Pidge about something that was not-English which Lance couldn’t follow.

Lance waited for a couple more minutes before making up an excuse to leave the room so that it wouldn’t look too obvious. As he got up, he couldn’t stop himself from throwing a dirty look at Keith’s direction (the bloody bastard probably didn’t even notice it) and what’s more shocking – when he passed by Allura and she smiled sweetly, Lance couldn’t find it in himself to return it.   

His own reaction was mind-boggling. Keith could be a dick sometimes (even if he _never_ realizes it) so Lance isn’t surprised but _Allura_? She was beautiful and smart and  strong and Lance would love to take her out to dinner sometime and she was so amazing and all the guys who’ve met her (including himself) should be swooning at her feet and _yet_. Ever since that incident, Lance was feeling resentful. He found himself as equally annoyed at her as he was with Keith.

The whole thing was driving him crazy.

It was only later when the Red Lion started attacking the Blade of Marmora’s base unpiloted (signifying that its pilot was in danger) and Lance felt his heart lurch and bile bubbling rapidly in his throat that realization begins to dawn.

Lance had thought he was over that ridiculous phase in his life – when he still had that stupid juvenile _crush_.

Perhaps… he wasn’t as over it as he had thought?

 _No way_. Lance refused to believe it. He isn’t stupid enough to still harbour feelings for Keith after all this time (he’s going to resolutely ignore the fact that his heart might have skipped a beat or two when he bumped into Keith on the way to the pool just the other day). 

He doesn’t even _remember_ much from that dumb phase in his life anymore. And if he didn’t remember something, then it didn’t happen.

And that’s how Lance finally makes peace with the whole Keith and Allura incident.

It didn’t happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lance seems to conveniently forget all the bonding moments, huh?


	5. Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith confides in Lance about his Galran heritage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any rights to Voltron or its characters. This is a fan-work.

Mornings on the Castleship usually start off the same. With the exception of missions or unforeseen scuffles with the Galra, all of them stuck to a pretty set routine.

For Keith, his day began with early-morning exercise (aka solo training) followed by breakfast and then depending on the day and necessity, either training or briefing with the other paladins until around lunchtime. After noon, their schedules tended to be a more flexible with everyone generally splitting up to do their own thing.

This morning, however, fell into the exception category.

Earlier that day, they had landed on a friendly planet with the purpose of procuring some very specific materials for an upcoming mission. Since team Voltron had agreed to assist Kolivan and the Blade of Marmora with their plan to take down Zarkon, the paladins had been kept busy, running around completing all manners of errands to aid with preparations for it and today was just one of the many.

Shiro had split the team up, assigning them all with tasks – Pidge and Hunk were out on gathering duty (the planet they were on was made entirely of a very hard mineral so they needed the Yellow Lion to scavenge the necessary materials); Shiro and Kolivan were out accompanying Allura to a diplomatic meeting with the reigning ruler of the planet’s main population (a tribe of five-legged aliens called the Mavastians) and to thank them for graciously consenting to the use of their planet’s resources; Coran immediately jumped at the chance of doing some much needed maintenance on the Castle of Lions and was last seen dragging a struggling Lance along with him, which left Keith, who had just recovered from injuries sustained during the trials of Marmora, with the simple task of ‘keeping an eye out for trouble’ aboard the Castle which really meant: ‘rest.’ Keith would have protested (tried to) but Shiro was hearing none of it. 

And so, here he was, left with nothing to do while the rest were out on their assigned missions.

Naturally, Keith heads for the training room.           

He was halfway to his destination when he hears swift footsteps coming from the other way and an ashen-looking Lance bursts suddenly into view. The other paladin lifts his gaze, frantic eyes meeting Keith’s.

“Keith!” he exclaims. “What are you doing here? Weren’t you with Shiro?”

Keith frowns. “No. Shiro’s gone to meet the Mavastian king with Allura and Kolivan. Weren’t you with Coran?”

“I _was_ with him but then he said he wanted to clean out the—” Lance pales, visibly shuddering and Keith has to wonder what atrocities Coran could have possibly put forth this time. “—y’know what, it doesn’t matter anymore. Where’re you headed?”

Keith raises an eyebrow, opening his mouth but before he could answer, Lance was already shaking his head. 

“Wait, no. Training room, right? Cool, cool. I’m coming with you.”

“…you are?”

Lance nods and starts walking off so briskly that Keith has to jog to catch up.

Once they were safely inside the training room, Lance lets out a huge sigh of relief, as if he was a death-row prisoner who successfully escaped certain death. The concept wasn’t without merit though, it was unlikely that Coran would come looking for Lance in here.

Keith decides not to comment. Instead, he activates his bayard and stands in the middle of the room, preparing to start up his usual training sequence. Before he could, he was struck by a sudden idea.

“Hey, Lance. Wanna do a tag-team?”

Lance jumps, looking surprised. He seemed to be contemplating his options, gaze fleeting back-and-forth from where Keith stood to the room’s exit. Finally, he sighs and pulls his own bayard out.

“Yeah, sure. I’m here already so why not?” The blue paladin steps into the ring as Keith starts up the sequence.

Sixty two defeated drones and bots later, Keith and Lance sat heaving on the floor, struggling to catch their breath after an intense workout session.  

“God, that actually feels pretty good.” Lance pants, sounding exhausted but satisfied. He was on his back, lying in a starfish position and staring at the ceiling.

“Dead on your feet already?” Keith takes a dig, usual smirk in place as he leans back on gloved palms, sitting cross-legged on the floor beside Lance’s feet.

To his astonishment, Lance chuckles. “Yeah, guess I am.”

Keith could only stare, not used to the smile on the other boy’s face. Not a smirk, not a grin but a sunny, genuine smile. This was an unfamiliar side of Lance and Keith was caught unprepared. He’s not sure why but Lance seemed different today. At Lance’s sincerity, Keith feels his own mood easing into something more serene.

They fall into a comfortable silence and Keith lets his mind drift. Immediately, thoughts he’d been doing his best to keep at bay assaulted the edges of his consciousness in his unguarded state.

It felt strange to be sitting here like this in the Castleship. Training. Talking. Waiting for the rest of the team to come back from their missions. The usual.

It was as if nothing had changed, when in fact, something had.

How do you react to the knowledge that part of the blood which ran in you belonged to the race responsible for causing an intergalactic war spanning over ten thousand years?

When he and Shiro returned from the Blade of Marmora’s base with the news, the team was understandably shocked. No one said anything then, needing time to digest the new revelation. Heck, Keith _himself_ needed time to digest the information and he had the benefit of a head-start since suspecting the truth of the situation for some time now.

Even now, after time has passed, only half of the team had said anything about his newly revealed Galra heritage. Shiro had assured that Keith was still his little brother no matter what. Hunk had asked him jokingly how it felt to ‘turn Galra’ during their mission on the Weblum – Keith saw it for what it was, just Hunk trying to diffuse the tension between them, in his own way. And much to his surprise, _Allura_ had approached him the very next day to apologise for her comments on that escape pod back when they stowed away together and made it crystal clear that she saw Keith as family and did not blame him for crimes he did not commit. This touched Keith more than he thought it would and he was extremely grateful for her acceptance.

Other than that, Coran, Pidge and _Lance_ hadn’t said anything.   

Keith tenses.

“What is it?” Lance asks suddenly and Keith startles.

“What?” He blinks. Lance hadn’t moved an inch from his position. Keith can’t see it from his position but he’s certain Lance is rolling his eyes.

“I can sense your awkwardness from all the way here. What’s going on in that mullet of yours?”

Normally, Keith wouldn’t engage. He was never the type to share his thoughts with others, preferring to keep to himself, but today, perhaps because Lance was being so sincere with him, Keith felt like doing the same.

“I guess… I was just wondering what everyone thought about me.” To which Lance guffaws loudly and Keith lets out an indignant “ _Hey_!”

“Seriously? _That’s_ what you’re worrying about?” Lance is still chortling.  

Keith scowls. “Well, what would _you_ do if you found out you were half-Galra?”

Lance hums, considering the question. “Hmm, I guess I’ll wonder if that means I’m gonna grow taller, whether I’ll get glow-y eyes and also if I’ll be turning purple – oh _dammnnnn_! I’d probably need to buy myself a whole new wardrobe! Purple’s _soooo_ hard to match! And—hang on! Does that mean I’ll have to come up with a whole new facial regime?!”

Keith gapes. “You find out you’re an alien and the first thing you think about is _fashion_ and _skincare_?!”

“Two very important facets of life, so _yes_.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“Yeah, I think so too.”

Keith almost smacks his face into the ground. Why did he even bother confiding in Lance again? Keith was already regretting his choices in life when the other boy continues.

“Seriously though, why are you asking this?”

“Why? What do you mean _why_? Shouldn’t you be more… suspicious?”

“Because you’re part-Galra?”

“Yes? The very enemy we’ve been fighting against? I think you would have noticed by now that I am a part of the people _Zarkon_ commands!”

“What’s that got anything to do with it?”

“Doesn’t that _bother_ you?!”

“Nope.”

Lance’s answer was so simple, so matter-of-fact, so _unhesitant_ , that Keith finds himself at a loss for words. He barely registers when Lance pushes himself into an upright position, mirroring Keith’s cross-legged position and facing him. A long pause draws out between them, until Lance breaks it.

“I’m not bothered by you being half-Galra,” he repeats, as if to drive home his point. “In fact, if there’s anything that _does_ bother me, it’s your lack of self-preservation. I heard from Shiro about the trials. Jeez, it wouldn’t hurt to have a little fear sometimes, y’know?”

Keith is taken aback, Lance’s words stunning him into silence. Was Lance showing him… concern? He doesn’t know how to respond, so he doesn’t.

Lance sighs and absent-mindedly sweeps a hand over his hair, pushing the short bangs out of his eyes, which was pointless because it falls right back to where it was. The Cuban balances an elbow on one knee, resting his chin on one balled fist and stares at Keith with lips downturned and impassive eyes. “So. Does it really matter that much?”

At first, Keith stays unresponsive. But Lance is waiting. “You don’t think it’s… weird?”

Lance doesn’t bat an eyelid.

“I’m not even human.” Keith pushes.

“Uh-huh, Allura and Coran aren’t human either and Kolivan’s a mother-fucking badass. They’re some of the most _incredible_ people we’ve met. Why the hell would it be weird?”

Lance has a point there. Keith grapples for an argument. “Because… because I’m different from you?”

“Okaaaaay, dude, that is by far the _stupidest_ thing I’ve ever heard out of your mouth and that is saying something.” Lance quirks an eyebrow, looking absolutely done and before Keith could react, Lance had leaned in close, breath fanning over Keith’s face as he spoke.

“Alright, listen up! You’re still you, okay? Keith or Galra or human or paladin or mullet or whatever. You’re still the mullet-man and royal pain in my ass – and don’t you _dare_ think you’re better than me just because you have some alien mumbo-jumbo inside of you! And! You’re sorely mistaken if you think I’m ever letting you one-up me! Nothing’s changed just because we found out your mum was a kick-ass alien secret agent in some cool, hidden rebel organization, speaking of which, you realize that’s actually a pretty awesome thing to find out? It’s like the time I first heard that my Ma used to work in _law enforcement_ before she had Marco and decided to retire early to care for him and then when my other brother, Luis, was born–”

To Keith’s utter bewilderment, Lance was suddenly derailing from the subject at hand and going completely off tangent. As Lance started launching into stories about _his_ family and tries to explain multiple things that happened in his childhood all in one go with wildly gesticulating hands, Keith could only blink in confusion and attempt to follow Lance’s line of narration. It’s hard and he’s more than a little disoriented but still, it’s mostly amusing.

Somehow, he feels a little better.

By the time Lance pauses in his rambling, a whole five minutes must have passed and they’ve travelled full circle around the moon and back. “—and then there was this treehouse in the back of our neighbour’s garden which we used to sneak into and gosh, it was a literal kid’s dream-come-true! It had little built-in compartments packed full of chips and silly board games and toy airplanes and— wait, I think I’m going off-topic. What were we talking about again?”

“Fashion and skincare,” Keith deadpans.

Lance beams brightly. “Right! So, you see, blue is my favourite colour and most of the clothes I own are in different shades of it, I’ve been told it really brings out the colour of my eyes so—”

It’s silly and ridiculous and Lance _must_ know it too but he doesn’t stop talking and Keith has zero interest in either fashion or skincare but he listens anyway. He realizes Lance has a nice and soothing voice (when he isn’t using it to be an annoying brat) and Keith decides he kind of likes it and wouldn’t mind hearing more of it (as long as he doesn’t use it to be an annoying brat).

It will probably take a little more time for Keith to completely accept the reality of his lineage but he thinks he’ll be well on his way there soon. Shiro, Hunk, Allura and now _Lance_ have been nothing but supportive. He’s sure Pidge and Coran will be the same.

He’ll be fine.

Keith is at peace with himself.

It's the best morning he’s had in a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Has anyone started noticing the slight divergences from canon? It's gonna ramp up a lot from here on. Keith's Galra reveal is one of the many things I wanted to address and there will be a whole lot more coming! Buckle up your seat belts, my dudes!


	6. Sunset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance overhears a conversation between Keith and Shiro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any rights to Voltron or its characters. This is a fan-work.

The view of the sunset was beautiful on Olkarion.

The team has spent the last few weeks preparing with the Blade of Marmora and finally, tomorrow was the big day – the final showdown with Zarkon. They were all on edge, nerves coiling and twisting with tension. But at least, as all five paladins basked in the glow of Olkarion’s orange sun dipping lower into the horizon, they had this one moment of peace.

They talked about what they would do after it was all over and made jokes, half-hearted attempts to alleviate the pressure. All of them were aware of the weight of what they were about to do in just a few hours and this was the only way they knew to keep themselves tethered. If these were going to be their final moments, then this is how they wanted it to end – chatting and laughing freely with people who were comrades second and found family first.

Inevitably though, the group had to disperse as they went about settling last minute matters, their temporary bubble of tranquility dissolving along with it. Pidge was first, then Hunk and then Lance, leaving only Shiro and Keith on the platform, hanging on to the last vestiges of harmony before they all needed to return to reality. 

That was about half a varga ago.

At this moment, Lance was back on the same platform. Where previously he had been openly enjoying the warmth of the last rays of Olkarion’s sun, currently, he was squashed behind one of the columns lining the edges of the platform overlooking the scenery beyond, hiding himself from view.

It all started earlier when Hunk had suddenly announced he was preparing dinner, a feast, for everyone and that they should all come down to the dining hall in another varga. So Lance, being the kind-hearted soul he was, offered to go back to inform Shiro and Keith. He had come up from behind, fully meaning to call out to them and deliver Hunk’s message when there was a sudden yelling and Lance stopped dead in his tracks, several feet away from where the other two stood.

“Not this _again_!”

“Keith!” Shiro’s voice was reproachful. “Listen to me—”

“No! I’m not listening to this!”

“I’m trying to reason with you! Look, _someone_ needs to lead Voltron and if I’m not around to do it then—”

The raised voices and the subject matter of the conversation itself left Lance’s blood running cold – like he’s listening in to something he shouldn’t be listening to. This was quickly followed by a sudden gripping fear that his presence would be discovered (he hadn’t been noticed, yet). In his panic, he did the smartest thing he could think of – jumping behind the nearest column and hiding himself away. It effectively eliminated the imminent danger of being found out but when Shiro and Keith continued to speak in heated tones and he realized he could still hear every word of their debate (his teammate’s voices somehow carrying easily over the platform) and Lance thinks he probably shouldn’t be here right now but doesn’t dare move for fear of being seen, he finds himself well and properly _stuck_.  

Lance doesn’t mean to eavesdrop. He certainly didn’t expect to walk in on such a serious conversation and he weighs the pros and cons of walking right back out. But the risk of being seen was real and that would be a _really_ awkward situation to be in and he’ll need to _explain_ himself and clearly, the cons far outstrip the pros. Also, now that he’s already overheard parts of it, Lance has to admit he’s curious as to what Voltron’s leader and right-arm were talking about.

Against his better judgement, he opted to stay.  

When Shiro next spoke, his tone was apprehensive. “Keith, you have to think about this practically. War is upon us, whether we like it or not, and the team is still inexperienced. They need someone to guide them.”

“That’s why _you’re_ here. _You_ can guide them. And me.”

“You’ll be fine. I’ve seen what you’re capable of, what you can do. You’re the best pilot of your year and the Black Lion has already acknowledged you once. I have no doubt that you can achieve great things as long as you stay focused.”

Keith makes a sound, somewhere between a grunt and a scoff.

“This is serious! We’ve done all we can but if, for whatever reason, things don’t go… well tomorrow and something were to happen to me, then I want you to take over. The team needs a leader and I know you have what it takes.”

“Shiro, nothing is going to happen to you. I won’t let it.”

“We can’t guarantee that. This will be our toughest fight yet and Zarkon’s sure to come straight for the Black Lion. I can’t be sure that I will—”

“Stop,” Keith interrupts. “Just _stop_. Tomorrow will go as we’ve planned and win this fight. We spent weeks making sure of that! We’re going to make it out of this together and after that, we can all go home. I can search for my family and you can go back and work things out with Adam.”

“Kei—”

“ _Shiro_.”

A defeated sigh. “Just… think about it, okay? I mean it.”

“I did too. You’ll be _fine_.” Keith insists.

“…okay. Keith, I… all I want is the best for you, and for the team.”

“…I know.”

There was a brief rustling sound and then the echo of footsteps. Lance scrambles, darting further behind the column and making himself as small as possible, hoping against hope that he wouldn’t be noticed. He must have gotten pretty lucky (or Shiro was just _that_ distracted) but the footsteps go right past him and eventually disappears. 

A few moments later when Lance deems it safe enough, he pops his head out from behind the column. Keith was still standing where Lance had last spotted him, watching the remnants of orange and purple in the distance as the sky rapidly fades to black, arms crossed in front of his chest. The mulleted boy was clearly still lost in his thoughts.

When the sky had gone completely dark and day had turned to night, Lance decides it’s time for him to make his appearance. Straightening his clothes, he takes a step forward. Keith immediately snaps up and glances over his shoulder, eyes narrowed and alert until recognition filters into his features and his gaze softens. Lance pulls up beside him.   

“Man, you still out here? The sun’s gone down already.”

Keith merely nods, sharp eyes trained at the view in front of him. The sky was pitch black now, the previously hidden stars becoming visible and twinkling in the cloudless velvet blanket ensconcing the planet. The red paladin’s brows were creased, clearly still troubled about what Shiro had said. Lance wants to reassure him but he doesn’t know how without revealing he had overheard what was clearly a private conversation (which, by the way, what was _that_ even about? The curiosity was gnawing at him but he knows it’s not his place to ask questions).

He understands how Shiro and Keith were feeling though. They were all anxious. Nervous. _Fearful_. The uncertainty of whether or not they would live long enough to see another sunset weighed heavily on their minds. It was _terrifying_.  

So of course, Lance gets it. He has his own worries too. So much that it was impossible to list everything down.

He worries about the team and how they were coping. He worries about Earth and whether it’s still safe. He worries about his _family_ and what would become of them if he never made it back home. He worries whether he’ll get a chance to explain where he’s been all this time (had the Garrison told them the truth or was his disappearance covered up, just like Shiro’s?) He worries whether he’ll get to see them again and if so, when? At least for that one, he might have an answer soon – if everything went well tomorrow then it shouldn’t be long at all.

Speaking of tomorrow, Lance is desperately hoping their preparations were enough. They’ve covered all bases but in life-risking missions like these, you could never be completely sure. Everyone had a role to play and they needed to ensure they played it well. In the big scheme of things, Lance doesn’t think his role was a particularly important one so he hopes he’s enough.

Ever since that mission on Beta Traz, a nagging feeling had lodged itself at the back of his mind. He’s been ignoring it so far, too busy with other paladin duties to give it the time of day, but the nagging grew louder as time passed. Lance was just a cadet at the Garrison with nothing special to his name. He’s not the responsible and dependable leader Shiro was, not as smart and skilled as Pidge or Hunk, not as strong and brave as Allura, not as resourceful as Coran and not as crazily impulsive and unpredictable as Keith. He’s not… _anything_. He doesn’t have much to offer so is he _really_ the right fit to be a paladin of Voltron? Is he really ready for this?

“Hey.” Keith’s voice breaks him out of his reverie.

“Uh… yeah?”

“…don’t.”

“…huh?”

Keith shifts on his feet. “Don’t… think.”  

Lance looks at Keith like he’s grown another head. “…what?”

“ _What_?” Keith snaps back impatiently, eyes narrowed and posture turning defensive. “You looked like you were thinking about… stupid stuff! So I’m telling you, _don’t_.”

“I was _NOT_ thinking about stupid stuff!” Lance fires back immediately because that’s what his instincts do when it thinks Keith is challenging him.

“Yeah, right! You had that _look_.”

“Like, _what_ ‘look’?”

“You know, that _look_! Ughh! Forget it!” Keith gives up, looking off to the side with a low growl.

From where he stood, Lance could see the pink of the other boy’s ears. And then realization hits albeit a little too late.

As weird as it sounds, Keith was _concerned._ Perhaps because they were facing the uncertainty of tomorrow. Perhaps it was an aftermath of his heavy talk with Shiro. Perhaps it was simply a whim. Whatever it was, Keith had actually tried to be _nice_. 

His heart warms.

“Well, if you must know,” Lance nudges, unwilling to let the matter end on that note. “I was thinking about home.”

Keith doesn’t react, staying rooted to where he was. Lance doesn’t let up.

“I was thinking about my family. About the nearby beach and summer holidays and how whenever I go back home for it, my Ma would always cook up a storm. She’ll make all my favourite food and oh! _Garlic knots_! Let me tell you, the smell of it from the kitchen before I even step through the front door is purely _D-I-V-I-N-E._ It’s heaven on earth if ever there was one. You’ve had garlic knots before, right? Cos’ you’re really missing out on life if you haven’t.”

A pregnant pause. And then, “…no.”

Lance brightens. Hook, line and sinker. “Then you have to try it one day! After we’re done with all this… war-fighting thing, maybe I could get Ma to make some for us!”

“… you seem really close to your mum.” Keith says, slowly turning back to face Lance. When Lance raises an eyebrow at this comment, Keith shifts his feet again and starts to mumble. “… you talked about her the last time too.”

Ah, right. He did, didn’t he?

“Oh yeah, Ma’s like, my best friend. _BFF_. She probably knows all of my secrets and we can talk for ages about literally anything under the sky! Rachel complains I’m such a Mama’s boy but really, she’s just jealous of our relationship!” Lance lets out a bark of laughter and instantly freezes. Oh _fuck_. How could he be so _insensitive_. He whirls around. “Shit, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”

Keith stops him with a shake of his head. “Nah, it’s fine. I think it’s cool that you’re… so close to family. I used to be too, with my… dad.” He gives a small smile, almost shy, and Lance is relieved. Mentally slapping himself, he vows to be more careful with his words.

“So,” Keith clears his throat awkwardly. “About those garlic knots…” 

Recognizing Keith’s attempt to lighten the mood, Lance jumps at the opportunity. “Oh, right! I’ll get some! Actually, scratch that, why don’t _I_ just _make_ them for you! Once we’re back on Earth and I can get my hands on some ingredients, that is! Rachel and I used to help Ma with them all the time but once Nadia and Sylvio got big enough, we’ve been getting _them_ to help with the baking so I’m just sitting there stealing bits and scraps off the tray before the rest of the hungry hounds get their hands on them—I swear, it’s a _nightmare_ having a large family when you need to fight everyone for a share of the good grub all the time!”

By the time Lance remembered to deliver Hunk’s message, they were already late for dinner. Bursting into the dining hall in a rush, Hunk glared disapprovingly over the counter as they sheepishly took their seats. All of Hunk’s best cooking was spread out on the dining table, the rest of the team already digging lavishly into it.

As much as Lance felt guilty for being late, he doesn’t regret it. Talking about the mundane things (and with _Keith_ ) had taken a load he didn’t know he was bearing off his shoulders. He felt _lighter_.

Stuffing his face full (it wasn’t garlic knots but it was still delicious), he tossed a ‘space sausage’ he knew Keith liked into the red paladin’s plate as a token of gratitude for the good company, to which Keith return-tossed Lance’s own favourite food. There’s still much to be worried about but as Keith rightly said (don’t tell him that), there’s no use overthinking. Tomorrow, come what may.

All things said and done, Lance still doesn’t know whether he’ll live to see another sunset. But if today’s scenery was the last of it, then he thinks it’s a pretty good final memory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things get a bit plotty here. Bear with me! Also, I can't English.


	7. Late Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro is gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any rights to Voltron or its characters. This is a fan-work.

“I don’t know how to search the entire universe for a new paladin,” Allura admits regretfully, distress clear in her voice.

“Keith, you piloted the Black Lion when you had to save Shiro. Perhaps you’re the one.” Coran pipes in.

Keith frowns, arms crossed tightly against his chest as all eyes turn to him. He was leaning against the wall, away from the rest and trying to stay as discreet as possible (which obviously didn’t work) and despite agreeing to come to this meeting, he’s now tempted to just walk out.

The team was currently gathered in the Castle’s lounge, holding a dreaded but long overdue meeting and Keith was not helping things along by being uncooperative. He knows he’s being difficult – has been for the past few weeks, having already caused several awkward situations, most notably when he lost his head at a dinner with hosted diplomats. The team tried numerous times to talk him out of his horrid mood but it was all in vain. Keith couldn’t suppress the boiling anger constantly bubbling close to the surface, threatening to erupt spontaneously at any given moment. The wounds were still too fresh.

Some time has passed since their showdown with Zarkon and while the outcome of it was more or less successful, it came at a great cost. Shiro had disappeared from Black in the aftermath of the battle and no one knew where he’d gone. Or if he was still alive.

At first, the team had gone into a frenzy (Keith, especially) as they hunted for their missing teammate but after weeks of searching and coming nowhere closer to finding out what transpired in Black’s cockpit in those final moments, they were faced with some difficult choices. Time was not a friend and the paladins were painfully aware that Voltron duties could not be delayed any longer. The war isn’t over and the universe still needs them. So when the team finally decided to call for a meeting to discuss their next course of action and how to fill in the large hole left behind by Shiro’s absence, Keith had no choice but to accept. Even if he hated the idea of ‘filling’ the hole. They could _never_ replace Shiro.

“No.” Keith eventually says to the waiting room, averting his gaze. “It can’t be me. I’m not meant to be a leader.” From the edges of his vision, he notices Lance frowning deeply at him. He’s not sure what he did this time but he’s not in the mood, so he ignores it.

As preoccupied as he was in his own thoughts, Keith is barely listening as the discussion continues without him and is only distinctly aware when Pidge starts listing down their roles. He wills himself to focus.

“—and Lance is the goofball.”

Lance splutters. “I am _not_ a goofball! I’m like the cool, ninja sharpshooter.”

 _Typical_. In spite of himself, Keith scoffs. “Are you joking?”

Lance shoots him an indignant look, nose flaring. “Only as much as Shiro was when he asked you to lead!”

A stunned silence fills the room and Keith stares at Lance in shock. The other boy looked just as surprised (if not more), like a deer caught in headlights, eyes wide and mouth open in a perfect “O” as if he hadn’t meant to blurt out what he just did.

Keith swallows thickly. “H..how did you…?”

“Shiro told me.” Lance says, wiping the expression off his face quickly, brows creased and lips forming a thin straight line.

Keith narrows his eyes in suspicion. Lance looked extremely uncomfortable (guilty, even). But in the end, he decides against pursuing the matter.

“Shiro wanted you to be his successor, didn’t he?” Pidge was staring intently at Keith now. He doesn’t respond but his silence was apparently answer enough. This then sparked an excited flurry about who should pilot the Black Lion – Hunk insisting he’d called the head and Pidge retorting that she’d been the one to track down Voltron in the first place, until Allura put her foot down and declared they _all_ had to present themselves to the Black Lion.

Which is why they were all lined up in Black’s hangar, the head and torso of Voltron lying in a heap on the ground, exactly the same way it’s been since the day Shiro… Keith shook his head, refusing to even think it.

They took turns. Hunk, Pidge, Lance and even Allura tried. None of them were successful in coaxing a response out of the large Lion, so it was down to Keith.

Even as he sat reluctantly in Black’s pilot seat, Keith couldn’t stop the chills running up his spine, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end like he had just stepped into a forbidden chamber. Everything in him screamed that this was wrong. He was never meant to be a leader, that was always Shiro’s role. Keith could _never_ replace him. This isn’t what he _wants_.

But fate had always been cruel to Keith.

As soon as his hands grazed the controls, the cockpit lit up in bright purple lighting and the Lion uprighted itself, recognizing Keith as its pilot against his own wishes.

The moment Keith steps out of Black, the team was swarming him with praise and whispers of congratulations. It was the last straw which broke the camel’s back.

“No, I don’t accept this!”

Allura looked scandalized. “But you must! The Lion has chosen!”

“I’m not the leader Shiro think I was! I can’t replace him!” Keith snaps, feeling irrationally furious and ready to throw punches, but then a hand claps over his shoulder and he gasps.

“No one’s replacing Shiro.” Lance states firmly, hand holding Keith steady. “The Black Lion wouldn’t choose anyone it didn’t think was worthy enough as its pilot. It’s made its decision. I respect its choice and you should too.”

And that was that.

There’s still the issue of who would pilot Red but the team seemed content enough to accept Keith as the new Black Paladin. Keith, however, didn’t feel quite as ready to accept this new turn of events and he’s more than a little annoyed that the rest seemingly are. He knows he’s being unreasonable, that he’s holding the whole team back.

But he can’t find it in himself to just _move on_. 

\---

Later that night, Keith finds himself roaming the dark hallways of the Castle. The standard blue Altean lights were dimmed, the Castle’s system emulating ‘night’ as a way of normalizing the rotation of time while they were in space. His mind was burdened and nerves frazzled as anger, confusion and grief tangled itself into a messy ball which rolled around heavily inside his chest. It was late and he should be resting but he couldn’t sleep despite how tired he felt, needing some space and time to think.

He didn’t have a specific destination in mind but his feet appeared to have a will of its own, taking him first on a long tour around the Castle and all its nook and crannies before eventually ending up back in the Black Lion’s hangar, as if a mysterious force was drawing him to this place.   

Keith stares up at Black in all its glory, larger and more majestic than the rest, clearly the superior one amongst the other Lions. It should be an honor to be accepted by this Lion – it _is_ an honor. But Keith can’t help feeling at odds with the Lion’s decision. He’s not superior. He’s not a leader.

He’s not Shiro.

Keith isn’t sure how long he stands transfixed but he knows it must have been some time because there’s a painful crick in his neck by the time he hears approaching footsteps and has to turn around.

“Can’t sleep?” Lance asks in a rough voice, coming to a stop beside Keith. The blue paladin was dressed in those Altean sleeping robes that he likes so much, hair sleep-ruffled and sticking to one side like he’s just clambered out of bed. Looking closer, Keith could see dark shadows under the other boy’s eyes.

Keith nods in reply to the question. “What are you doing here?”

“Same as you? Taking a nightly walk?”

Keith would have argued that one wouldn’t normally take a nightly walk into the Black Lion’s hangar but he doesn’t feel up for it today. To be honest, he hasn’t felt up for anything lately. So he simply shrugs. If Lance found his response lackluster, he didn’t mention it.

“Kinda cool, huh? You and Black,” Lance says to fill the mounting silence, gesturing between Keith and the Lion.

“Not really.”

“Oh, come on! Do you know how bummed out the rest of us were when Black wouldn’t respond?”

“I didn’t _ask_ for this.”

“And yet, here we are.”

“Yeah? Well, I don’t want it.” Keith scowls and looks resolutely away. This was stupid.

“Okay, fine, grumpypants. _Don’t_ pilot Black. Then there won’t be a Voltron, no saving the world and we can just leave all these little alien planets to fend for themselves against the evil forces of the universe. How about that, huh?”

Keith clenches his teeth in annoyance. He knows Voltron was still in dire need. He _knows_ that. But _still_.

Lance sighs, perhaps sensing Keith’s conflicting emotions. “Keith, you ever notice that life has a way of _not_ turning out the way you want it to? Sometimes, you just have to continue to fight the fight, stay strong and survive.”

Keith clenches his jaw. “…I know. And I’ll fight it. I always have. But this isn’t about _me_. It’s about…”

“Shiro?” Lance guesses.

“ _Yes_.”

“I’m sure Shiro would be happy for you to pilot Black. It’s what he wanted.”

“I can’t just take Black from him!”

“Shiro’s not here. We don’t even know—”

“He’s not _DEAD_!” The words Keith has been avoiding all along burst forth suddenly like raging floodwaters through dam gates, spilling over and sweeping everything in its path away. “I can’t just replace him! I _refuse_ to give up on him! I _don’t_ —!”

But Lance has a hand up to interrupt and is talking _over_ him, completely undeterred by Keith’s outburst. “Hold up! _FIRST OF ALL_ , you are _not_ replacing him. I’ve already said that. Secondly, you’re right. We don’t know if he’s still out there – he _could_ be, hell if I know – and all of us would love nothing more than to have him back with us. But Keith, you know better than anyone else how we’ve searched for weeks and there’s just been _nothing_! No results, no leads! We can’t just—drop everything and scour endless galaxies like a bunch of headless chickens while a war is happening underneath our noses! The Galra are up to something and we need to get back to business. We’re _Voltron_ and Shiro would have wanted us to do what we’re meant to be doing – defending the universe!”   

Keith growls. “Fine! You’re right. You’re right about everything! Except for one – without Shiro, it’s not the same! Without Shiro, we can never _be_ Voltron!”

“Wrong! We _are_ still Voltron. Shiro’s still with us. Here.”

Keith is taken by surprise when Lance presses a warm palm against his chest without warning.

“Shiro is _always_ with us. I’m not asking you to give up on him but the world is waiting for our return. We have to reform Voltron and we need you to be there with us. Shiro trusted you, that’s why he asked you to succeed him. Black acknowledged your abilities and chose you as her pilot. And as much as it pains me to say it, I _know_ they’re right. I know you can do it.”

Keith goes rigid, stunned by the unexpected words, anger diffusing.

“It’s just as Shiro said – you’re the best pilot of our year.” Lance makes a face at this but continues. “You’ve got the potential and now, all you need is experience. Unless…”

“……unless?”

“Unless you’re scared,” Lance shrugs, nonchalant.

“I’m not scared!”

“So prove it then. You’ve been recognized as the Black Paladin of Voltron. By the team, by the Black Lion, by _Shiro_. Now prove it to the rest of the universe.” Lance stares him straight in the eye, determined and full of meaning.

Keith deflates. He knows a lost battle when he sees one. Lance was right. Of course he is. Keith is being selfish, letting his emotions get the better of him. Shiro was important to him and he couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. But he was ignoring the larger picture here. The whole world was waiting on them. He’d once told Pidge off for putting the lives of her family above those of the rest of the universe. Oh, what a hypocrite he’s been. _Lance was fucking right._

And at long last, Keith relents.

“Fine… fine. I’ll do it.”

“Now _that’s_ the Keith I know.” Lance grins winningly.

Keith grunts, feeling a simmering heat beneath his collar. Belatedly, he’s hit with a sudden embarrassment for how he’s been behaving and hangs his head low. “Whatever.” He tries to act natural. “You pushed for this so you don’t get to complain later if you think I’m not as good as Shiro.”

“Of course you won’t be,” Lance immediately agrees. “Shiro’s a legend! A mullet like you could never compare. Hell, no.”

“But you just—!”

“I may have _accepted_ you as our leader but that doesn’t mean I think you’re a _fantastic_ leader, okay? Not right now, nope. Still a looooooong way to go, man.”

“Wow, thanks,” Keith says bitterly, rolling his eyes. “Glad to know I evoke such confidence in the team I’m supposed to lead.”

“Hey, just because you’re not great at it now? Doesn’t mean you can’t improve. Just be thankful you’ve got me around.”

“…you?”

“ ’course! As the newly minted head of Voltron, you’re gonna need a trusty advisor and who better to advise you other than your biggest rival and ace fighter pilot? What, you thought you could get out of our rivalry just because you’re the leader now?”

“…wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Damn right!”

And Keith has to turn away because Lance’s playful grin is contagious and he feels the edges of his lips twitch upward for the first time in weeks.

He’s still not going to give up finding Shiro. They’ll continue to look for him, the way Pidge continued looking for her family. But the world needs Voltron _now_ and Keith can’t afford to hold the team back any longer.

He didn’t need to move on.

He just needed to move _forward_.  

“So, Shiro told you about wanting me to lead, huh?” Keith says conversationally later when he’s had time to digest and his resolve settles. He feels calmer than he’s been in a long time and it was a welcome relief.

“Uh… about that…”

Keith watches as Lance starts twiddling his thumbs, eyes darting all over the hangar and refusing to meet Keith’s. Before he could ask though, Lance’s face crumples and then cracks. When he speaks, his words are rushed and jumbled.

“SoimighthaveoverheardYOUandSHIROtalingonOLKARIONaboutwantingyoutoLEADandididntmeantobutyouguyswereTALKINGSOLOUDand—”

“You _what_?!” Its barely decipherable but Keith catches enough to grasp the gist of it.

“—and I’m sorry!”

“You— you were listening in?! That was private!”

“I know, I _know_. I didn’t mean to! It just— _happened_!”

Keith drags a gloved hand across his face, sighing exasperatedly. “You just ‘happened’ to eavesdrop? Like— you know what? I don’t even wanna know.”

Lance’s expression turns solemn. “I really am sorry,” he apologizes, forlorn but sincere.

“ ‘s fine.” Keith waves a hand dismissively. There were worse things in life. “I’m more surprised that you owned up to it.”

“Well, you’re our leader now, right? If I’m going to have your back, then I figure we can’t have secrets like these between us.”

A pause.

“Oh… thanks, I guess?”

“Not at all! We’re a team now.”

Lance is smiling and Keith is left feeling suddenly disconcerted. While this isn’t the first time they’ve talked to each other alone like this, it feels a little different. It’s subtle and barely noticeable but there’s been a shift.

It was late at night in the Black Lion’s hangar and Keith has only just accepted his role as the new Black Paladin, putting his grief aside (for now) for the sake of the better good. To top it all off, he senses something changing between him and Lance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, can anyone guess where we're heading with this?


	8. Lions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things aren’t going so well for the new team. Lance and Allura have a private talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any rights to Voltron or its characters. This is a fan-work.

“It’s not working!” Pidge cries through their linked comms.

“Damn it! Everyone fall back!”

At Keith’s command, the Lions scatter, breaking out of formation. The surrounding swarm of Galra fighters continue to attack mercilessly, shots blasting from all directions making it impossible to avoid them all. Lance tumbles and somersaults to dodge the fire, doing his best to minimize direct hits and hoping the others were faring better. The Lions were taking too much damage and things were swiftly going downhill. As if to prove this, a large Galra cruiser emerges from the distance and joins the fray, heading straight for the Castle of Lions.

“Coran, get out of there!” Hunk’s panicked shouts echo in his cockpit.

“Keith, we have to retreat!” Allura’s tone is urgent. “There’s too many of them! We need to wormhole out of here!”

“Alright, you guys head back! I’ll hold off the cruiser.”

Lance watches as the Black Lion speeds off towards the cruiser closing in on the Castle, its ion cannons radiating a bright purple as it took aim and prepared to fire. 

“I’m coming with you!” he announces, already maneuvering Red’s controls to follow in Keith’s tracks.

“I can handle it!”

“You’re not going alone! We’re a team, remember?”  

“…fine! Stay on me!”

Lance follows behind Black and keeps his eyes peeled as Keith dives headfirst into the ion cannon, jawblade at the ready. Several fighters jump at the chance, aiming at Black and Lance fires his lasers, destroying each one of them with pinpoint precision, explosions filling the space and leaving Black’s path clear. He does a little fist pump when Black’s attack lands, the jawblade slicing a long line where it connects and the ion cannons fizzle before blowing up entirely. His exhilaration is short-lived when a whole mob of fighters appear immediately after, boxing them in and Lance has to reel back, trying to evade as the Galra ships attack with renewed vigor. 

His first mistake happens when a group of fighters change course at the last minute and he notices too late that he’s being targeted, leaving him with mere milliseconds to dodge. His second mistake was panicking, which drove him to swerve sharply and because he’s still not used to Red’s speed and sensitivity, he makes his third mistake: crashing right into Black.

“ _Lance_!”

“Sorry! Just flicked the stick a little too hard!” Disentangling their Lions, Lance quickly navigates himself a safe distance away.

Not a moment too soon, Allura’s voice comes through their comms. “Keith, Lance! Get back! We’re ready to wormhole!”

“Roger that!”

Hightailing it back into the Castle amidst the firing enemy ships, they somehow manage to wormhole themselves to a safer location.

Despite successfully surviving the altercation, a grim silence befalls the team back at the Castle. While they were all glad to be safe, morale was at an all-time low.

“We couldn’t form Voltron,” Hunk murmurs, partly in shock and partly in regret. The entire team sat in their assigned seats on the Castle’s bridge, still dressed in their paladin suits.

“But why couldn’t we?” Pidge bangs her fists against the arms of her chair, frustrated. “We figured out how to do it back on Thaycerix. I thought we had it in the bag!”   

“Perhaps… it’s my fault.” Allura’s voice wavered as she spoke, brimming with uncertainty. “Blue has only just accepted me. Maybe our bond isn’t strong enough.”

“Allura, if _that’s_ the problem then it goes for me too.”

“No, Lance, I don’t think—”

“It’s not any of you,” Keith stops her. All eyes turn on their new leader as he stands up and turns to face them, brows knitted tight and lips downturned. “This one is on me. I’m the leader and yet, I… I’ve let the team down.”

“I don’t think so, Keith,” Lance rebukes. “This was a _team_ effort. You can’t just take the blame yourself. We’re all in this together.”

Keith doesn’t respond. Instead, he looks down at his feet.

“Alright, paladins,” Coran breaks up the pity party right on time. “It’s been a long day and I think we all need some rest and recuperation. Come along now, I’ll fix us up a good meal!”

And good ol’ Coran grabs a hold of Pidge and Hunk and ushers (drags) them out before either could protest. Lance glances over at Allura, whose eyes are crinkled with worry, and he smiles in an attempt to cheer her up. She returns it for just a brief moment before it slides off, unable to ignore the creeping despair from their latest lacking performance. When she too had left the bridge, he turns to Keith.

The Black Paladin hadn’t moved.

Falling into step beside their new team leader, Lance tries to reach out. “Hey man.”

No response.

“He—”

“This isn’t working out.” The words come suddenly, taking Lance by surprise. Keith is still looking down but Lance notices the way his fists are clenching against his sides. “I’m not cut out for this and the team is suffering. I’m no good—”

“Whoa, whoa, calm down there, samurai! You aren’t giving up now, are you? It’s too early for that.”

“You saw what just happened! We couldn’t form Voltron! What good are we if we can’t form Voltron?!”

“Hey, it’s alright! We just need to get used to our new Lions. We gotta keep trying— that’s what we did the first time round.”

“The first time round, we had _Shiro_.”

“And now we’ve got you.” Lance’s voice is firm. “And me.” He adds as an afterthought. “And Allura, who’s probably more powerful than you and me combined.”

“It’s not the team I’m worried about...”

Without thinking, Lance places a reassuring hand on Keith’s shoulder – something he’s been doing a lot lately, and the effect is instantaneous. Keith’s entire body sags with released tension and he finally takes his gaze off the floor and meets Lance’s, deep-purple irises looking lost and dejected. At the sight, Lance feels a sudden urge to do something, _anything_ , to wipe that look off his face. His fingers move to give the shoulder underneath a sharp squeeze. 

“Keith, its _fine_. We’re just starting out. Things will improve once we’ve gotten a better feel for our new roles.”

“I just feel like… we’ve _regressed_. We’re not as strong as before and it’s my fault. I’m the leader but things keep falling apart and I don’t know how to stop it! Meanwhile, _Lotor_ is out there planning his schemes while we waste time.”

“I wouldn’t call it a waste of time. More like… an orientation period? Everyone’s still trying to find their feet. If anything, _I_ should be the one feeling bad for banging into you earlier—”

“—it’s not your fault! I couldn’t have taken out the cannon if you hadn’t cleared the way!”

“—annnnd there you have it! See? No one’s faulting anyone, so let’s not play the blame game.  More than half of the team are in new Lions so we’re obviously going to need time for adjustments. We just gotta stick it out until we figure a way to iron out these little kinks.”

“…I hope you’re right.”

“I _know_ I am. We promised to fix this together, so that’s what we’re gonna do.” He smiles as encouragingly as he can.

Thankfully, it works.

Keith’s expression softens. While the troubled look hadn’t been fully extinguished, at least he no longer looked like a dark stormy cloud (but just a dark cloud).

“Okay. Thanks… Lance.” Keith manages a smile then, a tiny one but Lance regards it as a triumph anyway. With a sudden light pat on Lance’s back (which sends a jolt and then shivers through the new red paladin), Keith follows the others out.

As Lance stands alone now on the Castle’s bridge, his smile dissipates.

\---    

He’s surprised to see her here as much as she’s surprised to see him.

“Allura, what are you doing here?!”

“I could say the same for you, Lance!”

They stare at each other for a few moments before bursting into laughter. Still chuckling to himself, Lance takes the empty spot beside her.

It was some time after dinner and the Castle had already gone dark as night mode activated, but Lance was too restless to just turn in for the rest of the night. Needing to work out the extra energy, he found himself drawn to a place he normally found comfort in in the past – Blue’s hangar.

Lance draws his knees up to his chest and wraps his arms around it, mirroring Allura’s position as he settles in and they both stare up at the giant blue Lion looming above. For several long moments, they stayed in comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Lance isn’t sure what he’s doing down here tonight. Blue is no longer his to call his own anymore so he shouldn’t really be here but at the same time, it felt wrong to cut off from Blue completely just because he’s transitioned to Red (even if Blue _had_ rejected him). Not that there was anything wrong with Red, mind you, it’s just. Lance needed time to adjust into these new changes. Just like the rest of the team.  

“I still can’t believe I’m piloting Blue now,” Allura speaks out loud. She still has her eyes trained on the Lion, the elegant mix of blue-pink sapphires filled with wonder.

“Why?” Lance asks back. “Is it that surprising? I can’t imagine anyone more suitable to pilot Blue.”

“It is! I’ve always wished to fight alongside all of you. All this time, while you and the rest of the paladins risked your lives on the frontlines, I stayed hidden in the back. It… didn’t feel right. And now, I finally have my chance.”

“Of course we’d always fight for you, Allura. You don’t even have to ask.”

“And I am eternally grateful for that.”

“Well, thanks but don’t be. We’re just fighting for what’s right. And hey, look at you now! You’ve got your own Lion! I still wish I could have stayed with Blue sometimes but when I see the way you work together… I’m just glad she’s in good hands now.” Lance smiles at Allura. “That goes both ways, by the way.” 

Allura smiles back but then it dulls as uncertainty creeps in. “I just hope I’m the right fit for the team. Ever since I joined, the team’s been… unstable. I can’t help feeling like I might be the cause.”

“What are you talking about, it’s not your fault! Heck, you bonded with Blue quicker than any of the rest of us ever did with our Lions! The team has just reformed and getting used to these changes is bound to take time. We’re a team, aren’t we? Things will eventually work out if we stick together. That’s how a team works. That’s how _Voltron_ works.”

“I suppose you’re right…”

“Hell, if anyone should be worried, it’s me! I’m the one who keeps messing things up!”

“That’s not true!”

“Yes, it is.” Lance insists. “I’m the one making mistakes all the time. Just today, I crashed my Lion into Keith – that could’ve gotten really dangerous! So I guess, what I’m saying is… that’s why I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that Red accepted me as its paladin.”

Allura frowns. “I’ve told you before. The Red Lion has recognized your will—”

“Yeah, yeah. I accepted Keith as leader, valued the team and all that,” Lance vaguely waves a hand around. “Sometimes I just have to wonder, y’know? Whether I’m really good enough to be a paladin? I mean…” Lance struggles for the right words. “I don’t _feel_ like I’ve proven anything yet. Come to think of it, I still haven’t figured out why _Blue_ let me in back on Earth.”

He jumps when a hand is placed on his arm just above his elbow and he turns to see Allura watching him intently, expression determined. “Lance, the Lions are sentient beings far greater than anything anyone could ever imagine. It would _never_ allow someone unworthy to be its paladin. If they’ve chosen you, then there is no doubt in me that you bear something special. The Lions see something in you… even if _you_ haven’t seen it yet. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, you have _greatness_ within.”

Something lodges itself in Lance’s throat and the backs of his eyeballs start to itch. For one alarming moment, Lance thinks he might burst into tears but that’s not cool so he bites down and holds it in. He is, however, grateful for the warm weight on his bicep, the comforting smile and that meaningful gaze effectively cajoling him to believe the words which had been uttered.

“Have a little more faith in yourself, Lance.”

It meant the world to him. While the words didn’t completely eradicate the insecurities he felt – no, his troubles were far too deep-seated to be so easily overcome – but for now, it was all he needed to hear. For now, this was enough. 

“Thank you, Allura.” He smiles, trying not to choke on his own tongue as a bevy of emotions threaten to overwhelm him. He was blinking way too many times for it to be normal but Allura – this wonderful, mature woman – was nothing but understanding.

“You’re welcome.” She lets her hand fall away when she deems Lance stable enough and settles back into her seat on the floor of the hangar.

“Wow, this is kind of embarrassing…” Lance sniffs, wrinkling his nose. “I’m… sorry. Not only did I gatecrash your slumber party with Blue, I ended up being a crybaby that needed comforting.”

“No, it’s alright. I think it’s nice, talking to you like this.”

“… okaaaay? Not sure why you’d feel that way but hey, I’ll take it!”

Allura just shakes her head and smiles prettily.

And then, it strikes Lance like a thunderbolt.

It was the middle of the night and he and Allura were sitting arm-to-arm all _alone_ in a secluded area in the Castle, talking softly and laughing (and almost crying) and sharing their _feelings_ with each other. He didn’t realise it before but now that he has, he’d say it felt kind of like a… _date_. 

As soon as the thought registers, Lance promptly _snorts_.

Which shocks both himself and the Altean princess sitting beside, who looked at him in alarm, but Lance shook his head and started laughing, waving his hand in what he hopes is as an indication that says: ‘this is fine, I’m not crazy, everything’s just _dandy_.’

The Lance from a couple of months ago would have puffed up with pride at what he would normally see as a ‘victory’, having scored himself a ‘date’ with the beautiful girl who should have been way out of his league but Lance continued trying his luck for anyway. The Lance _now_ , however, merely laughs and laughs and Allura is looking at him funny but seems to have decided not to ask, rolling her eyes and returning to watching Blue, ignoring the complete madman howling in laughter for reasons unknown beside her.

Allura is still as beautiful and strong and amazing and everything great Lance has known about her since their first meeting. No doubt, there had been one point in time when Lance thought he might have had a real crush on her – who wouldn’t want to date someone as perfect as Allura? But he knows better now. Those feelings he harboured were superficial at best and Allura didn’t deserve that—scratch that, _he_ didn’t deserve Allura. She wasn’t a prize to be won and deserved someone worthy, someone who would whole-heartedly and unconditionally love and cherish her and provide her with all the happiness in the world. Lance, as he was now, didn’t fit the bill.

Unbeckoned, an image of dark tresses and deep-purple fleet through his mind’s eye and he instinctively shakes it away so quickly, it was as if it never happened.

Lance isn’t sure when his feelings for the princess had changed but he thinks it must have been for some time now. It just felt so _natural_ this way. Allura was an important friend who deserved his utmost respect and Lance should treat her with as much.

“You okay there?” Allura queries once his laughter had died down, a single eyebrow raised in trepidation as if she still wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to ask. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Lance coughs once, clearing his throat. “Just had a funny thought, that’s all. Sorry.”

“No need to apologize. It’s good to hear some cheer in the Castle. We haven’t had much of that since…” she trails off and the humor on her face starts to slip. He sobers up immediately.

“Shiro…” she continues in a whisper. “He’s always been such a pillar of strength for all of us. I can’t believe he’s… there isn’t a single day that goes by where I don’t wish he was still with us.”

“We’ll find him. I know we will.” Lance tries to assure. “Until then, we need to become a team he can be proud of so we can show it off to him when he gets back!”

The edges of Allura’s lips twitch and Lance mentally pats himself on the back. “Show him, huh?” she chuckles lightly. “You’re right. I’m sorry for ruining your happy mood, Lance.”

“Nawww! Don’t worry about it. I’m always here to listen if you ever need me.”

“Indeed, I noticed you’ve been doing that a lot.”

“Doing…‘that’?”

She shrugs. “Listening, and keeping everyone’s spirits up. The way you’ve just done for me here. So thank you, for keeping the team together.”

Lance shakes his head. “Nah, I’m really not doing much. The team’s getting along pretty well on its own.”

“It’s been a rough time for us all since we’ve lost Shiro. I can’t imagine how it’s like for Keith, having to step up as the new head of Voltron on top of losing someone so important to him… I think he really appreciates all that you’ve been doing.”

 “Maybe.” Lance chuckles heartily. “Keith is just… finding his way around everything right now. He _is_ still upset about Shiro but I think he’s been getting better at not letting it affect his judgement. Give him a little time and I’m sure he’ll come around. I’ve been watching that mullet for a long time so trust me when I say he’ll find ways to amaze you when you least expect it.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Allura’s expression is curious, a mysterious twinkle in her eyes. Unfortunately, Lance doesn’t notice. 

“Yeah, he’s a great pilot and a really strong fighter! But don’t tell him I said that, okay? When I first met him, he was the top student in our piloting classes. He aced every simulation and broke multiple records, can you imagine? It’s something that hasn’t happened since Shiro, who’s a legend at the Garrison! And then he got himself booted for disciplinary issues – the idiot! Keith can be a little bit reckless sometimes… okay, _a lot_ reckless, but if you know him for long enough? You’ll start realizing he actually means well. Most of the time anyway, and he’s just really bad at showing it. He needs someone to ground him…”

Lance trails off when he realizes Allura looking at him funny again. Only this time, her pretty pink-blue eyes were _predatory_ and a mischievous smile lit up her entire face. Chills began to run up Lance’s spine at the unnerving look and he thinks maybe he’s overstayed his welcome. But before he could find a way to excuse himself without sounding too rude, Allura was already closing in on her prey.

“Yes?” Allura drawls, that mysterious smile turning to him on full-blast as she leaned in closer, eyes beady. “Anything else you’d like to share, Lance?”

“Uh… no? I’m done actually! I didn’t mean to ramble.” He forces out a laugh but he’s not fooling anyone, and certainly not Allura.

“Oh, but I think there’s more that you can share. Perhaps, like, how you spent your day yesterday?”

Lance scrunches his face up in confusion, feeling uneasy and not comprehending where this was going. Had he done something weird yesterday for Allura to be acting like this? “Um… there was that training in the morning, I guess? Then I spent some time with Kaltenecker in the fields. And helped Coran and Hunk clean up some stuff in the kitchen storeroom. What else? I think that’s about it? I can’t recall doing anything unusual…”

Allura hums, nudging against his side. “I was thinking something more… personal. With a fellow paladin.”

“Who, you mean Hunk?”

Allura sighs, dropping whatever facade she was attempting to put on, obviously losing patience. Rolling her eyes skyward, she went straight for the killer. “I meant _Keith_.”

“Keith? What about Keith?” For some reason, Allura was looking at him knowingly. It’s enough to make him feel a little sweaty under the collar.

“I’ve been informed that you two have been spending a lot of time together.”

“Wha— who said that?!” Lance demands, tone accusatory. Who in the _world_ had the nerve to tattle on him like that? “Okay, Keith and I had a one-on-one after training yesterday and that’s it! I’m pretty sure Hunk saw us too so it’s not anything _weird_. I don’t know what you’ve been hearing, Allura, but I can assure you it’s probably _not_ true—”

“I can hardly believe that. It’s not just training and it’s not just yesterday. The mice tell me you’ve been meeting up around the castle for _months_ now. With increasing frequency. Especially at night. _Alone_.”

Lance feels himself flushing at the way the words were being phrased. “It’s not what you think.”

“What should I be thinking?”

“Nothing! It’s _nothing_!”

Allura’s laughter is a tad too gleeful as Lance gets flustered, denying whatever it was he thinks he needs to deny, he’s not even sure anymore. While it was true that he and Keith have been meeting up lately, most of the time it was just to talk and sometimes train, if Lance felt up to it. More importantly, these meetings were entirely _coincidental_ , the two of them bumping into each other when they wandered around the Castle or when they couldn’t sleep at night – which had been especially prevalent after they lost Shiro, Keith needing the support and Lance wanting to give it. It’s certainly not… whatever Allura thinks it is.

“I’ve never seen you like this,” Allura observes. “It’s… endearing.”

Lance groans, flushing deeper at how _that_ sounded. “Allura, I think you’re getting this all wrong.”

“Am I really?” she quirks an eyebrow. Lance doesn’t answer but Allura doesn’t seem to expect one. She’s still got that infuriating smile on and Lance can’t seem to control the heat rising high into his cheeks.

“Fine, okay, fine! So we’ve been meeting up a lot or whatever. What about it? It’s no big deal! Friends meet up and talk all the time!”

“Oh, don’t be mad, Lance. I just think it’s charming that you two are finally getting along so well, considering how hostile you were to him at first. It’s quite the funny story.”

“Are you _actually_ making fun of me right now?” Lance gawks. “Like, _seriously_?”

“Forgive me. I can’t seem to help myself. It’s just… the way you look at him, you’ve always got that _look_ on your face. It’s just so plain to see.”

 _Oh no._ “What look?” Lance demands, suddenly stricken. His face? Was he being too obvious? And Allura noticed? Has anyone else noticed? Has _everyone_ noticed? Hunk, Pidge, Coran, maybe even Keith _himself_?! Blood drains from his face at the possibility and he starts to hyperventilate.

Until he realizes Allura was full out laughing at him now, harder than ever before. And it finally clicks.

“You _tricked_ me?!”

“I’m sorry! I just had to know for sure! You’ve been acting so differently lately! You seem more… mature. I haven’t heard a pick-up-line from you in months! At first I couldn’t put a finger on it but when the mice told me what they had seen… I had a hunch. I’ve been meaning to find out more for a while now but then we got busy, and now just seemed as good a time as any.”

Lance groans and buries his face in his hands. _This was embarrassing._ That’s all he’s been doing tonight, embarrassing himself.

“So… Keith, huh?”

“Allura, you _cannot_ tell anyone about this.”

Allura makes a zipping motion against her lips. “My lips are sealed. You can count on me.”

“This is so humiliating! And for the record, it _really_ isn’t what you think it is! I’ll admit to having a…” He mumbles quietly, “… _stupid old crush_.” And then raising his voice again, “But that was in the past! Waaaaaaaaaay before we even came up to space! I’m already _over_ it! It doesn’t mean anything! We’re just friends and fellow paladins now!”

“If you say so, Lance.”

_“I mean it!”_

“Sure. But in case you ever change your mind, do know that you can always ask if you need my help.” She winks at him, a devilish smile he’s never _ever_ seen before warping her expression into something devious. Lance was suddenly scared for his life. 

“Yeah, I’ll remember that.” Lance gulps but swears to himself that. He. Will. _Never._ Ask.

“Good luck!” the cheshire-cat smile was back on her face and she winks again, causing Lance’s face to burn brighter, red as the color of his new Lion.

Allura’s got it all wrong and she’s getting way too excited for Lance’s comfort. However, seeing that cheeky grin as she waggles teasing eyebrows at him and elbows him in the sides, he decides he still prefers this to the depressed look she had been wearing earlier.

And to think, Lance had only just come to terms with the fact that Allura was an important friend. He wasn’t expecting her status to transition so quickly into ‘self-proclaimed, overenthusiastic wingman’ in the same night. Not to mention, he’s a little afraid of what she might be capable of in that regard, despite Lance’s warnings.

He could only hope Allura stayed true to her word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This clocked in at more than 4.3k words and I can’t afford to make it any longer if this fic is to remain a daily prompt challenge. Regardless, I hope I’ve done justice to the relationship between Lance and Allura here despite having to keep it compact.


	9. Blush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team is stressed out and decide to take an afternoon off. Keith and Lance head to the alien-equivalent of a fair together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any rights to Voltron or its characters. This is a fan-work.

“Okay, who did that?”

“Was that a… game?”

“Sorry, that was me.” Pidge says apologetically. “I spent the whole night working out this new program— (“You mean game.”) (“It’s not a game, it’s a _program_!”) – and I’m just a little—” A loud yawn. “—sleepy so my head’s drifting.”

“Hunk! If I see one more calzone—”

“My bad! I’m just really hungry. All this mind-melding _always_ makes me hungry—”

“This is fascinating! Lance, was that your—”

“Stop picking around in my head, Allura!”

“Guys, focus!”

“Says the one who’s not focusing himself—”

“What? I _am_ focusing!”

“Then explain why I’m seeing visions of _Allura_ in your head?”

A gasp. “Keith has visions of _Allura_ in his head?!”

“Wh—! It—it’s my job as a leader! I always think about the team!”

“Mmhmm, rightttt.”

“Allura, I swear—”

“I’m sorry, Lance! I can’t seem to stop it—!”

“Hunk… the calzones…”

“Alright, that’s enough!” Keith’s voice is loud enough that they all snap back to reality, the trance induced by their mind-bonding exercise instantly breaking.

Keith glances around the circle they sat in, the faces of one sheepish and three disgruntled paladins looking back at him, and sighs. “Okay, not the worse try we’ve had but obviously everyone’s distracted.”

“No shit,” Pidge mutters, crossing her arms in defiance. “You were too.”

_“What did you say?”_

Before a fight could erupt, Lance, ever the reliable ‘advisor’ he promised he would be, steps in between. “Alright, guys, break it up. That’s enough for now.” He pulls off the contraption from his head and rounds up the others. “I think a little break is in order.” He glances at Keith (sitting on his right), the edge of his lips quirking a certain way which Keith is now familiar enough to know means ‘I got this.’

Eyebrows still furrowed with tension, Keith sends back a tight but appreciative smile. Ever since Keith had taken up the mantle of Black Paladin, this is how things have been – Lance, true to his vow, always showing great loyalty and support; and Keith, getting used to trusting Lance to have his back. Somehow, Lance always knew exactly how to fill in the gaps Keith left open and for that, Keith is grateful.

“But we’ve been doing this for days now!” Pidge moans from across. “How long more are we going to keep it up?”

“Until our connection improves. We need to ensure we’ll always be able to form Voltron so everyone _agreed_ to start up mind-bonding exercises again, remember?” Lance reminds.

“Yeah, yeah, I _know_.” Pidge sighs. “Still. It kinda sucks to have people invading your mind all the time, no offense to any of you. I just need my privacy.”

“Tell me about it,” Lance mutters almost inaudibly, the Altean princess seated to his left looking away innocently. Keith frowns at the strange exchange.

“Well, all of you have certainly been working very hard!” Coran quips as he passes out bottles of water to the circle of paladins on the floor. “If I might make a suggestion, perhaps you’d like to consider taking the afternoon off? We happen to be passing by a friendlier part of the galaxy today and there’s a planet known as Skarmbande which isn’t too far off from us. Skarmbande is famous for hosting an _enormous_ market in one of its main capitals and it draws quite the variety of visitors from other planets so you can always expect to find something interesting up for trade! Perhaps you could check it out – some downtime might be just what you need to freshen yourselves up!”

“That… actually doesn’t sound like a bad plan,” Lance hums contemplatively before turning to Keith. “What do you say?”

Keith takes one look at the rest of the paladins and makes up his mind. It was a no brainer, really, with the exhaustion and stress he could see etched so clearly on all of their faces. He gives in with a resigned sigh. “Yeah. I suppose one afternoon off wouldn’t be too bad.”

When the other paladins’ visibly perk up, he knows he’s made the right choice. 

“Fantastic! Now that that’s out of the way, I think we can all proceed to lunch before heading for Skarmbande. Right this way, paladins! You’ve earned your fill!” Coran flourishes his hands in an exaggerated manner and leads the way out.

Keith watches with a passive expression as the others begin to filter out of the training room until he sees Lance holding a hand out to Allura and she takes it, the two of them talking in low voices, a flush on Lance’s face as he spoke heatedly whilst Allura seemed unable to stop herself from giggling every two doboshes. His frown returns.

Keith isn’t sure why and when it started but he finds this behavior… off-putting. He started noticing it a few days ago at dinner when Allura had taken a seat beside Lance (which hardly ever happened) and started whispering to him in hushed tones so no one else could hear, which promptly resulted in Lance’s face turning a bright red and he started whispering (arguing?) back only for Allura to laugh it off. This would have been fine if it was a one-off incident but then it continued happening after. Much like it was happening now. 

While this sudden change in his two teammate’s interactions was strange in itself, what Keith found stranger was how it affected him (apparently it affected him enough that his mind was projecting visions of _Allura_ during mind-melding exercises). This new development was irking him more than it probably should and at times, he was downright _disturbed_. Which was funny because Lance used to flirt with Allura all the time (though Keith could have sworn it hasn’t happened in a while, or it has but he just never noticed?) and so what did Keith care if Allura decides to flirt back now? Or what all of this seems to imply?

Just then, Allura elbows Lance in the side and Lance squeaks, pouting and gesticulating wildly while Allura chuckles and rubs away tears (presumably) from the edges of her eyes.

Keith’s frown morphs into an outright glare. Something was definitely different about those two.

And he’d be lying to himself if he says he didn’t mind it.

\---

“You _sure_ you want to come with me?”

“For the umpteenth time, _yes_ ,” Lance rolls his eyes. “You wanna gather info, right? I don’t have anything else planned so I might as well stick with you. Or what, you have a problem with that?”

“No, it’s not a problem,” Keith says quickly when Lance purses his lips and frowns. “It’s just… I thought you’d want to come with Allura.”

To his surprise, Lance stumbles in his gait and stutters out a loud ‘NO!’ with bugged-out eyes. “I mean,” he collects himself. “ _No_. I’d… I’d rather not.”

Keith stares. There was a crease in the other boy’s forehead, his skin pale and arms crossed defensively in front of him. While the reaction had been far from normal, Keith was choosing instead to focus on the more important piece of information: Lance had just said he’d rather hang out with _Keith_. This revelation lifts his mood immediately.  

“If you’re sure... we’re here.”

They both came to a stop in front of a large archway which led down into a long, winding road bustling to the brim with activity. There were colourful booths, stands and carts of all shapes and sizes lining either side of the pathway; a variety of food smells wafting in the air and clashing with each other; noise and music filling their surroundings alongside chatter and laughter as a large crowd milled about inside; shopping, relaxing and generally having a good time.

Rather than a market, it was more like a _fair_.

 _So this is the infamous ‘Skarmbande market’ Coran spoke about_ , Keith thinks as he observed the area. He hadn’t expected it to be _this_ lively, after what they had seen of the rest of the planet. Upon arriving, the paladins had quickly discovered that the planet was still severely underdeveloped. Most of the land was barren with an almost desert-like quality to them except for isolated parts where civilization had taken off and even then, the streets were mostly empty and permanent buildings scarce as the general populace preferred to live like nomads (in tents) and were constantly on-the-go due to the planet’s environment. Hence, there were hardly any fixtures around even within the main capital. It was apparent that the ‘market’ was the most exciting part of the entire planet.

“Wow!” Lance gasps, eyes shining with intrigue as he takes in the sights and sounds before him and before Keith could even register what was happening; Lance was already dragging him through the archway and into the flurry of shopping aliens.  

Inside, Keith found himself instantly wowed by the sheer range of merchandise on offer at the booths – from food to trinkets and souvenirs and clothes and utensils and appliances and even weapons from vastly different locations across the galaxy. It was like the space mall all over again except ten times bigger and more diverse. Lance was instantly sucked in by the fanfare and made a stop at practically every single booth he passed.

As Lance ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ at the latest shop he’d stuck himself to (which appeared to be offering jewelry), Keith scans their surroundings to check for suspicious activity. He knew Hunk and Allura were probably in here somewhere (the two having left the Castle earlier) but they were currently nowhere in sight, not that it would have been easy to find them in this large of a crowd. Pidge had opted to stay back to catch up on some much needed rest and despite being the one to suggest it, Coran had chosen to skip out too, mumbling something about a past bad experience with some despicable Skarmbandeans.

As Lance buzzes like a bee around the busy market, probably having already forgotten what they were here for (to gather info), Keith gets to work, though he does make sure to keep an eye on Lance. (So that they don’t get separated.) (Not because watching Lance’s fluttering about in a bubbly mood made him smile.) (And because the Galra could attack, you see?)  

Fifteen doboshes and nine dirty looks later, Keith stands to the side, defeated. None of the local aliens in the marketplace had taken too well to his questioning (since they had opted out of wearing their paladin suits in favour of being discreet, no one recognized him so he probably ended up just sounding like a creep) and had absolutely zero information to show for his efforts. Lance had overheard Keith’s last conversation and hasn’t stopped laughing since.

“Keith, you’re way too intense! This isn’t an interrogation! You’re not gonna get straight answers with that line of questioning!”

“Well, how _should_ I be doing it then?” 

“I don’t know, you could try being friendlier? Beats me.”

“Gee, _that’s_ helpful.”

“Oh, loosen up, samurai! We’re supposed to take the afternoon off to _relax_! Can’t we just do that? We’re in the coolest market I’ve ever seen and there’s absolutely no sign of the Galra – at least not yet and God let’s hope it stays that way – and there’s SO much to _see_! That reminds me! Come take a look at these!”

Lance grabs at Keith’s arm and for the nth time that afternoon, drags him away, making a beeline to a nearby store. Keith tries to object but when Lance turns to him with a shit-eating grin and starts pointing out the gleaming pieces of gems displayed in the booth and explaining their properties, Keith finds himself suddenly tongue-tied.

And that is how Keith ends up spending the rest of his afternoon.

At first, it’s strange (Keith has never shopped for anything other than groceries and basic necessities) and a little frustrating (Lance’s attention gets piqued by even the most mundane of things: “Look at this, Keith! Insect netting!”) (“You’re in space, Lance, why would you need it?”) (“In case the Castle ever gets infested by bugs? It even glows _blue_ and emits _pixie dust_ whenever it successfully repels something! Neat, huh? I’ve never seen anything like it!”). Normally, Keith would have just stalked away (he couldn’t be arsed about things like dust-emitting insect nets) but Lance’s face lights up like a fucking Christmas tree every time something catches his attention and Keith finds himself unable to look away, mesmerized. Until he realizes what he’s doing and forces his head the other way, face on fire. Eventually, he decides he doesn’t mind being dragged around as long as Lance continued smiling happily.

Keith almost balks at the realization of his own thoughts. The way he was acting (and thinking) was _appalling_. When had he developed an obsession with Lance’s _smile_? He needed to stop acting like a weirdo before Lance noticed it. Chiding himself, he forces his head to stop thinking nonsense and focus on the window-shopping instead.  

Time passed quickly as they made their way through the booths, Lance dragging Keith along, blissfully unaware of his team leader’s inner turmoil. Soon enough, the afternoon on Skarmbande quickly turned into evening as the planet’s double suns began to sink in the horizon. It would get dark soon and they needed to return to the Castle.

“Hey, I wanna check that out!” Lance says suddenly, pointing at a hidden booth down a secluded alley. There were hardly any customers in there so of course, Lance would be curious enough to want to go look anyway.

“We need to get back soon.” Keith couldn’t keep the tinge of regret seeping into his voice and hopes Lance doesn’t notice it. Despite everything, the afternoon had been fun (once Keith managed to get himself to stop thinking altogether and just savor the moment for what it was) and he had thoroughly enjoyed himself. Coran was right. This _was_ a good idea.  

“It’ll be the last one, I promise!” Lance looks at him pleadingly.

“…fine.”

Lance’s face splits into a wide grin which made Keith’s belly flip-flop exactly three times, before he runs off. Keith sighs and follows behind, shaking his head to himself. When he catches up, he finds the booth decorated with a multitude of toys – on the counter, hanging from the sides, overhead – and there were exactly 9 targets lined up at the back of the booth in three by threes. Unlike the other stores they’d seen earlier, this one was a bit more familiar.

“It’s a shooting game!” Lance explains when Keith falls into step beside him. The red paladin already had what looked like a small plastic toy gun in his hand.

“Hitting all 9 targets earns you the grand prize,” a green-skinned alien with three eyes recites dully, not even bothering to take its three eyes off the magazine it appeared to be reading. 

“Bet I can shoot down every one of those targets,” Lance smirks at Keith, gesturing at the targets with the toy gun.

Keith doesn’t doubt it but decides to play along anyway. “Oh, yeah? Prove it then.”

Lance grins and takes aim.

Precisely 9 shots later, the shopkeeper is ringing a bell, announcing that Lance had won the grand prize. Keith doesn’t pay much attention as the shopkeeper congratulates Lance and places a huge box in front of him, pointing out the various selections he was entitled to as his take-home prize.

“If none of these are to your liking then… ah, perhaps you’d like our most popular line of toys? They’re very hot items in the market right now.” The shopkeeper pulls out a second, smaller box from somewhere underneath the counter and opens it.

Keith’s eyebrows quirk up. The box turned out to contain plain palm-sized dolls of the paladins of Voltron (all of the dolls looked exactly the same except for the colour of their armor and there was even a purple-coloured one).

Lance regards the contents of the box for a moment and picks one out. Decision made, he thanks the shopkeeper and turns to Keith.

“Seriously? You picked yourself?” Keith juts his chin out at the blue-armored doll sitting in Lance’s palm.

Lance shrugs. “Why not? Can’t think of a better prize than this. Here.” He lifts his hand up so that the doll was at Keith’s eye-level.

Keith blinks at it, confused. “What…?”

Lance sighs as if he couldn’t believe he had to explain something so simple. “It’s for you. Take it.”

“…why are you giving this to me?”

“So that you’ll never forget who the team’s sharpshooter is. I told you I could take down those targets.” Lance winks at that and laughs and something must have short-circuited in Keith’s brain because his mind blanks out for an unknown amount of time and when he finally regains conscious thought, he’s already holding the doll with both hands and Lance is walking away.

“Come on! We need to get back to the Castle!” Lance yells behind him.

Shaking himself out of the fog enveloping his senses and disrupting his motor processes, Keith quickly makes to follow after the red paladin.

Carefully, he stores the little doll in the fanny pack he always has hanging around his hips, suddenly aware that his cheeks were flaming and he can’t seem to bring himself to look at Lance. Inwardly, he resolves to spend some time later that night to reflect on himself. He’s been acting really weird and he needs to get to the bottom of it before Lance notices and thinks he’s a freak.

When they arrive back at the Castle and Allura is back at it during dinner, nudging and whispering secretively to Lance; and Keith feels irritation build up in his chest, his good mood instantly evaporating (he’d completely forgotten about the whole Lance and Allura thing while they were out), Keith gets the first inkling of why he was acting the way he was and what this feeling inside him might be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whenever a girl and boy develop a close friendship, most people around will assume there’s something ‘more’. Anyone else relate?


	10. Jackets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance’s insecurities come to a head when Keith gets hurt protecting him. They talk it out. 
> 
> TW for this chapter: Blood and/or mentions of Blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any rights to Voltron or its characters. This is a fan-work.

When consciousness returns, the first thing he registers is the sensation of free-falling.

“Lance!” a voice calls close to his left ear and then strong arms wrapping around his torso. It was warm, comfortable. _Safe_. As one by one all of his senses returned to him, he wills his limbs to move, the warm tingling spreading and returning feeling into his body as he emerges from the depths of darkness, like breaking through the surface of icy water.

He opens his eyes.

Hunk’s worried face greets him.

“You alright, buddy?” Hunk asks, gentle eyes crinkling at the corners with concern and relief.

“Yeah…” he blinks, again and again, as his eyes adjust to the bright light of the medical bay. The spots in his eyes have barely receded when it all returns to him in a single swoop. The village, the Galra, the _blood_.

Panicking, he pushes his sagging body upright in Hunk’s arms. “Where’s _Keith_?!”

“Hey, hey. Calm down!” Hunk shushes as Lance struggles to stand but his still-wobbly legs wouldn’t cooperate so he ends up flopping around uselessly. “You’ve just gotten out of the healing pod and need time to recover. Hey! Keith’s right there.”

Lance follows Hunk’s pointed thumb and sees what he was looking for. In another healing pod, just a few spots away from the one he had been occupying, was Keith. Had his legs been functioning, he would have planted himself against the glass capsule currently hosting the other paladin. Instead, he has to make do with grabbing at Hunk and asking urgently.

“Is he—!?”

“Keith will be fine,” Hunk assures. “He should be out in another varga or so. The injuries weren’t… as bad as it looked.”

 _If it hadn’t been bad then why is he still in there?_ Lance grimaces, unable to verbalize the distressing thought. A sense of dread was beginning to fill him as the events which led to this moment runs through his mind on fast-forward. “I-I-I’m…” he begins to say, clenching his jaw. “This is _my_ fault—”

“ _No_ ,” Hunk interjects. “We’re not going there. It’s not your fault, it’s _no one’s_ fault, okay? We were ambushed and there was no way any of us could have foreseen it.”

“But if _I_ hadn’t messed up then—”

“You didn’t mess anything up. Those were trained fighters down there today and we all know close-range isn’t your forte.”

“Whatever the reasons, if it weren’t for me, Keith wouldn’t…” Lance couldn’t finish his sentence, guilt and regret welling up in his chest, threatening to implode at any second.

“Lance, stop that,” Hunk shakes his head in dissent. “Keith knew perfectly well what he was doing. It’s not your fault.”

Lance doesn’t bother with a reply. Hunk was a good friend. Always kind and considerate of how others were feeling. But right now, these weren’t the words Lance wanted to hear. There was nothing anyone could say which could change his mind. _This was his fault._

He’s known for some time now but he had made excuses, denying it, due to his own selfish reasons. He really should have known better.

_I’m not cut out to be a paladin…_

Before he could wallow deeper into depression, Hunk is nudging him for attention. “Hey, you wanna get something to eat?” It was a clear attempt to change the subject. Lance takes the bait.

“No, I’m not hungry. I just— just wanna get back to my room,” Lance eyes the grayish-white skin-tight suit he wore. The one everyone wears if they were subjected to confinement in the healing pod. The one Keith was presently also wearing.

Hunk wordlessly nods and then they were moving out of the room. With one arm around Lance’s shoulders, Hunk supported most of his weight as they started the long journey back to his quarters. As they exited, Lance glances once more at the single occupied healing pod before turning away, eyes downcast.

\---  

Pulling on his jeans, Lance breathes a sigh of relief, feeling a little more like his usual self now that he was out of that body suit which smelled like antiseptics. Hunk had dropped him off earlier and at Lance’s request, left to help the others, but only after Lance promised to take it easy while the rest of them were out. During their walk back, he learnt that Pidge and Allura were still with the planet’s locals, helping out with the damage left behind by their earlier battle.

The battle which had effectively incapacitated the head and right arm of Voltron.

In hindsight, it was a really thoughtless mistake. They had let their guard down and this was the price they paid for that blunder.

The planet, known as HAX451V-P4 or just “Hax” for short, was a small one, covered mostly by a wild, overgrown jungle and the rest of it, an orange sea. Hax was inhabited only by little pint-sized aliens that looked like cats, except that they could speak and walked on two feet. Since Hax’s atmosphere was similar to Earth’s and it was supposed to be just a quick stop at the local village to restock on fresh food supplies, they hadn’t expected to fight any battles, simply walking out of the Castle without their paladin suits, the same way they had done on Skarmbande. Only this time, they hadn’t been as lucky.

No sooner had they arrived at the cat village, they were attacked by a large group of Galra foot-soldiers, all of whom were particularly skilled in the art of close-combat. Outnumbered and without their suits, Lance had taken damage early in the fight, which spurred the team to cover for him. At some point during the confusion, Lance distinctly recalls seeing the sharp tip of a broadsword charging straight at him and the attack was right on course so it _should_ have hit – he _should_ have been impaled. But nothing connected and the next thing he remembered, Keith was crouching on the ground with blood covering his entire right arm, the broadsword-wielding enemy lying crumpled in front of him. The flurry of events which took place after that was all a blur (probably in part because he had been rapidly losing blood). He remembers seeing the Castle – Coran, who had stayed behind had come to the rescue, driving the foot-soldiers to flee. He can’t remember much after that but according to Hunk, the foot-soldiers had fled into their fighters and the other paladins (sans Keith and Lance) gave chase in their Lions, until the fighters were completely driven out of Hax’s solar system – all of this happening while he was passed out. And now, here they are.

Lance clenches his fist. What was he even _doing_?

Shivering a little, he realizes his upper body was still bare. Absent-mindedly, he gets up and opens the built-in compartment in his room where his clothes were usually stored. Funnily enough, neither his shirt nor jacket were hanging where they should be.

And then he recalls the stab. His hand instinctively reaches up to his right shoulder, where he was struck. The wound was healed now, leaving only a very thin line – slightly lighter than the colour of his skin – a permanent mark of his folly today, but more urgently now… where were his clothes?

_If it’s not here then it can only be…_

Throwing on his usual sleeping robe, Lance leaves the room with a purpose.

\---            

                It was two vargas later when Keith was finally released from the healing pod.

As soon as he hit the ground, Keith was already jerking frantically away. “Lance! Is _Lance_ —?!” He stops when he notices who was holding him up. Keith relaxes.

“Lance, you okay?”

“I should be asking you that,” Lance’s smile is wry as he readjusts their positions so that Keith’s arm was around his shoulders.

“I’m fine,” Keith squints around the room, gathering his bearings. “Where are the others?”

“Still in the village, helping out with damage control.” Lance explains. “Might take awhile before they get back but I promised Hunk that you and I will rest up.”

“I see.”

“You wanna get something to eat or get dressed?”

Keith’s nose wrinkles as he looks down at the body suit Lance himself had been wearing not too long ago. “Dressed, please.”

Similar to how Hunk had helped him earlier, Lance helps Keith to his room.

Once inside, Lance turns away to give Keith some privacy, busying himself with something near Keith’s clothes cupboard. Once Keith was dressed in his usual jeans, Lance turns around, a pile of neatly folded garments in his hands. His eyes instantly wander to Keith’s right arm, where the long ugly gash he’d seen in his snatches of memory had been. The pale skin was clean now but Lance knew there would be a scar there, just the same as his. But longer and bigger.   

“Here.”

“Thanks.” Keith takes his clothes from Lance, looking mildly astonished, and starts dressing quickly. Lance wonders if it’s just his imagination but Keith seems to be avoiding his gaze – which was understandable. If it weren’t for Lance, Keith wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Lance had no right to complain if Keith was mad at him.

He watches in silence as Keith dresses himself fully. When the other boy was done, Lance sees it happen almost in slow-motion when Keith automatically checks his right sleeve (the one they both knew was soaked in blood earlier) and dark-violet eyes widen as he notices it.

“Wha—?”

“I patched it up.” Keith’s eyes whirl up to meet Lance’s in surprise. Lance points at the uneven line where the long tear running down the sleeve had been, fingers brushing against the fine stitches sewn firmly there and keeping the fabric together. The little sutures were barely noticeable unless someone bothered looking closely enough. “The Altean washing machines do a good job of removing bloodstains but it can’t fix tears. So I did it,” Lance explains.

“Whoa, you did this?”

Lance pulled at the collar of his jacket, revealing the twin sets of stitches on his baseball tee and jacket around the vicinity where he’d been stabbed. “Yeah, my Ma taught me how to sew long ago because I always ripped my clothes as a kid so… anyway, I did it very quickly and it’s not my best work, but it’s functional.”

Keith looked impressed. It made Lance feel a little better. Just a tiny bit. At least there was _something_ he could do right.        

“This is great. Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it. I should be the one thanking you. You… protected me.”

“Of course I would, you were hurt.”

“Yes but in the process, you got hurt too.” Lance says evenly, swallowing down the bile rising in his throat.

“It’s fine.” Keith waves off as if it didn’t mean anything. For some reason, that strikes a nerve.

“It’s _not_ fine. You could’ve gotten seriously injured. Oh wait, you already did.” Keith’s eyes narrow at the sarcasm clearly dripping from his voice. “You could’ve gotten _killed_ , Keith.” Lance emphasizes, his tone urgent. Desperate.

“It doesn’t matter. I couldn’t just leave you be.”

“How can you say that? Of course it _matters_! You’re the leader!”

“So?”

“You can’t let yourself get hurt because of me!”

“What, and leave you out for the Galra’s taking? Not happening.”

“You don’t understand,” Lance shakes his head. “I’m not as important as you!”

Keith scoffs. “Don’t be stupid, Lance.”

And that was the final straw. Something in Lance snaps.

“You’re right. I’m the _stupid_ one.”

“That’s not what I mean—”

“It’s _exactly_ what you mean!”

“Lance, what are you—?”

Lance cuts in. “Today has proven that the only thing I can do _right_ is patch up bloody holes in jackets! What’s the use of that for a paladin?”

“Don’t be ridiculous! What happened today was a _lapse of judgement_. We were careless and this is the result of it! No one’s to blame, that’s what you’ve always said! Team effort, right?”

“Yes and _I’m_ the team’s weak link! This isn’t a participation game, Keith, this is war! You need your best soldiers on the front line!”

“What are you even _talking_ about?!”

“I’m saying maybe I should step aside before I do any more damage!”

“What the _fuck_ are you _—_?!”

“I’m _dispensable_! You guys will be fine without me.”

“We _won’t_! You’re important to us!”

“ _I’M NOT_!” Lance bursts out, face contorting in shame and anguish. “I’m _not_ important. I’m the one _always_ making mistakes. I’m the one that can’t fight a decent brawl despite all the training we’ve been doing and getting myself stabbed and then almost getting you _killed_! I’m the seventh wheel! I’m the goofball! I’m the one without a _thing_ —

“Stop!” Keith’s expression is furious, glare bordering on murderous. “Stop saying those things about yourself! You _are_ important and I’m not letting you go!”

“You _should_! The team needs you but they don’t need m—”

“I NEED YOU!” Keith shouts himself hoarse and Lance falls silent, gaping at the sudden outburst.

He hadn’t realized when they had started raising their voices but they were both panting hard now. He blinks, still as a statue as Keith breathes fire in front of him. An entire dobosh passes before Keith finally huffs, crossing his arms (perhaps as a way to hold down the raging fire), the Black Paladin’s face a peach pink from the exertion.

“Listen, Lance, I don’t know how long you’ve been… thinking about these things but let me tell you, they’re not true.” Lance opens his mouth to object but Keith raises a hand. “I said, _listen_!” When he was satisfied that Lance wouldn’t interrupt, he continued. “Back then, when Shiro disappeared… if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have made it this far as the Black Paladin. You promised to have my back and you’ve kept to your word all this time – you don’t know how much that means to me.”

Lance looks down, deflated and tired, feeling as if he’s aged a whole twenty years in the span of a day. “…it’s nothing special. Anyone could have done it.”

“No, it only worked _because_ it was you.”

“Huh,” Lance snarks. “I don’t believe that.”

“ _Lance_ ,” Keith stares him dead in the eye, expression serious.

The air shifts around them – something heavy and thick oozing in between, coiling around Lance and smothering him, trapping him where he stood, and he finds himself unable to look away from the other paladin, frozen in place by the pure intensity of Keith’s gaze. He didn’t realize he was holding his breath until Keith spoke again.

“When we met… _you_ were the one who called us ‘rivals’. Even when we got into space, _you_ were the one who was always chasing after me, challenging me, making sure I’m not ‘one-upping’ you. When I found out I was Galra, _you_ were the one who told me it didn’t matter. When Shiro disappeared and I was at my lowest, _you_ were the one who lifted me up and told me I could lead the team. When I was doubting myself, _you_ were the one who decided to be my ‘trusty advisor’ and you promised me that we would do this – lead Voltron – _together_.  We’ve come SO far and done so many things… you _ARE_ so many things. So, how can you even say you’re not important? That you’re not _needed_? You can believe whatever you want but… I only see the truth.” Keith’s voice trail off as he hastily looks away, as if to mask his embarrassment, but Lance had already seen the deep flush in his cheeks, the color rising quickly into his ears.

Lance stares in awed silence – eyes wide, jaw slack and mind numb – the words he never would have expected to hear pulsing loudly in his ears. It was so much to take in. He couldn’t move, couldn’t react. He could only stare.

“I…” he starts, in a voice like gravel. He gulps it down though it’s hard; his throat is dry and felt like sandpaper. He tries again anyway. “I… I’m… I don’t have anything special.” His voice is feeble, wavering.

Keith is getting impatient now, head snapping up and frowning. “Don’t you get it? What else do I have to say to make you understand?” He runs a vicious hand through his hair, letting out a frustrated growl before rounding in hard on Lance. “Look, you might not be the best in everything but there _are_ things only you can do.”

“Like..?”

With an agitated huff, Keith ducks and backs up to his bed, leaving Lance suddenly standing alone in the middle of the room, confused. When he returns, however, Lance understood why.

Keith raises his palm to Lance’s eye-level. Sitting in it, was the blue paladin doll Lance had won not too long ago from Skarmbande. Keith lifts his gaze then, deep-purple eyes staring straight into Lance’s ocean-blue ones and Lance can clearly see the angry red mottling on Keith’s face, but when he next speaks, his tone is soft.

“You’re the team’s sharpshooter, right? I haven’t forgotten.”

Lance’s heart swells. Memories flash before his eyes unbidden – a relaxing afternoon, colourful stalls, a shooting booth hidden in a secluded alley, a green three-eyed alien shopkeeper and low murmurs of his own voice.

_‘So that you’ll never forget who the team’s sharpshooter is.’_

And suddenly, he’s laughing. _Hard._  

“Wh..what’s so funny!?” Keith’s expression is partly alarmed and partly flustered.

Lance wants to answer but he can’t because he’s still laughing uncontrollably, bent over and clutching at his stomach and his sides are starting to ache now but he’s still in disbelief over what he’s just heard and what a turn of events this was and oh, he’s been such a _fucking idiot_. Leave it to Keith to amaze him when he least expected it.

“Okay, you know what? I’m taking everything I said back.” Keith fumes when Lance shows no signs of stopping. He drops the hand holding the doll and makes as if to throw it back onto the bed or something, Lance isn’t sure, but he’s already reached out to grab Keith’s wrist, effectively stopping any intended acts of throwing.

“Wait, wait!” Lance gasps out, trying to regain control of himself, rubbing at his eyes and the moisture collected there. “I just…” After everything that’s happened, what should he say? What _could_ he say? Sorry? Thank you? In the end he goes with: “Next time, I’ll win you a red one.”

There was a short pause as Keith stares blankly at the hand wrapped around his wrist. And then he returned to his senses and fumbles to reply. “Uhh… red one?”

“Yeah,” Lance juts his chin out at the doll still in Keith’s hand. “Because blue guy here needs red too.” Lance stares meaningfully at Keith, the words conveying everything he wants to say. 

If Lance had previously thought Keith couldn’t possibly get any redder then he’s just been proven wrong.

Keith promptly chokes and curses and shakes Lance’s grip off and starts mumbling under his breath about ‘ _embarrassing people_ ’ and ‘ _dad’s old soaps_ ’ and ‘ _fuck, is this desperate housewives?_ ’ and paces the room, obviously fully intending to ignore Lance. Lance laughs heartily (not the loud convulsive laughter from earlier but an easy, good-natured one that came straight from his chest), all the tension suddenly melting out of him like butter in a hot frying pan.

Keith was right. They were a _team_. All _five_ of them were needed to form Voltron. He had been the one preaching it all this time and now he was doubting it? He should be _ashamed_ of himself. They still haven’t found Shiro and the team needed to stick together now, more than ever. Kicking himself and bringing everyone else down along with him was the last thing he wanted to do. Keith believed in him, trusted in him and for that, Lance had to try his best. He had to learn to believe in himself. All this time, he had made sure to always have Keith’s back. Little did he realize (until now) that Keith has always had his too. It was a very reassuring thought and provided him with all the more reason to not give up.

_Perhaps I still have something to offer._

As Keith continues to pace and mumble, looking extremely embarrassed and sounding like he’s regretting his whole life, Lance subconsciously thinks it’s a good thing that Allura isn’t here right now. The Altean princess had been pestering him lately with ‘what ifs’ and ‘maybes’ since she’d found out about Lance’s old flame and had she been here, this incident was bound to have made it up there along with the 567 other reasons why she thought he and Keith could be together. Lance always shuts every single one of them down though. He knows much better than that when it came to Keith. Keith was a rival and leader and now, a good friend as well. And that’s as far as it would go. There could never be _more_. It was a fact Lance had accepted a long time ago.  

He shakes his head in an attempt to clear it. _Now’s not the time._ His already muddled mind was in a mess, having just been put through the wringer and he didn’t have the capacity to handle any more emotional baggage today.

“Thank you,” Lance eventually says aloud to the room and Keith promptly stops his pacing. Lance smiles at him fondly, gratefully. And that’s all it takes for Keith to give up entirely, storming past Lance and leaving the room with irritated mutters of ‘whatever’ and ‘I’m out of here’. 

Lance chuckles to himself in the now empty room. Keith means well but he’s definitely not used to these kinds of heart-to-heart talks. Despite that, the stoic boy had really gone out of his way this time to make Lance feel better and Lance couldn’t be more grateful. 

Pulling at his newly patched up jacket, confidence equally patched up thanks to Keith, Lance follows after his friend with renewed determination. The desire to improve burnt stronger than ever, Lance vowing to not let anyone get hurt because of him again. He needed to better himself. 

With this team, maybe he can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That escalated quickly. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the cheese.


	11. Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance end up in a strange part of the galaxy where they see strange visions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any rights to Voltron or its characters. This is a fan-work.

“Watch out!”

Keith pulls back just in time as a lone asteroid swoops past, almost knocking him off-course. He barely had time to register the close call when another danger presents itself. An unknown force was pulling at his Lion, dragging it in towards several clumps of closely huddled stars – all of them completely black – dotting the area they were currently in as far as the naked eye could see.

“Ugh! There it goes again!” Lance’s desperation filters in clearly through the comms.

“Hold on! We’ve got to keep together!”

“I’m trying!”

Keith watches helplessly as the Red Lion drifts further away, undoubtedly being pulled back by the same force that was pulling him in the opposite direction. Activating Black’s thrusters, he strains against the force, trying hard to stay close to Red – he could see Lance doing the same.

To put it frankly, they were in a bad situation. _Very_ bad situation.

Since learning about Lotor’s goals to procure Quintessence from the rift, the team had been chasing after clues relentlessly, the need to locate Lotor and stop him becoming exponentially urgent with new knowledge of the extent of damage which could possibly be caused. This was driven further by the fact that they failed to stop the Galra heir from making off with the interdimensional comet. However, their efforts so far have sadly been bearing little fruit. Unlike Zarkon, Lotor was proving to be quite the sneaky bastard. He was unpredictable and infinitely harder to trace, so when they received intel that Lotor would be striking another Galra base (it wouldn’t be the first time), they took their chances.

The intel turned out to be a dud.

Instead of finding Lotor, they found themselves in yet another fight for their lives. Outnumbered and severely disadvantaged, the team had made the quick decision to toss the battle. Alas, the Galra had been savage in their pursuit and their escape wormhole was compromised.

The next thing Keith knew, he and Lance had been spat out into this strange area of the galaxy, filled with nothing but dark stars and planetoids and random space whales and strange forces pulling him and Lance away from each other.

Speaking of which, the force was becoming unbearable now. Black’s thrusters stuttered under the pressure, threatening to completely give way. Even within the cockpit, Keith could feel the powerful force stretching the very core of his being.

Until the feeling was suddenly interrupted by a flash of bright white.

\--- 

_The sea was a shimmering blue under the moonlight, the cloudless night sky filled with faraway stars twinkling down and reflecting off the water’s surface, casting the beach in an ethereal gleaming fog, the sounds of waves splashing in the background._

_A little boy with eyes the same shade of the ocean sits by the edge of the water, the blue irises glistening in wonder as they stare up above at the infinite galaxies beyond Earth’s atmosphere._

\---

Mercifully, the force threatening to split him into two stops at the same time the strange vision disappears.

Seizing the chance, Keith jumps into action. Reigniting Black’s thrusters, he crosses the distance in an instant, slamming himself straight into Red and sending both Lions catapulting backwards. They were still bowling through space, neither Lion having recovered from the impact yet, when he fixes Black’s claws securely onto Red’s shoulder blades, launching an additional claw from the bottom of Black’s body and latching it onto Red’s spine for good measure.

“I got you!”

“Good one, Keith!”

With this, they wouldn’t be separated now.

Pulling their drifting Lions to a stop, Keith scans their surroundings. The strange force had receded for now and all was calm. This was a great time to figure out what was going on and where they were. If only their systems were working.

“I’m still not getting any readings. There’s something here that’s messing with our signals.”

“It seems to be some sort of… gravitational pull,” Lance’s face is scrunched as it pops up on Keith’s screen. “My scanners have been showing a consistent amount of high energy levels and that strange pulling from earlier... I’m guessing it’s probably what’s jamming up the Lions. We’re lucky enough that our comms are still working.”

“Yeah, but apparently not lucky enough to establish connection with the others. How’s it looking there?”

“Nope. I’m still not getting anything further than a 50 kilometer radius.”

“Damn it. What are our options?”

“Umm… hope Pidge and the others find us?”

“Great… just great.”

Just then, another flash of light blinks through the edges of their vision, interrupting the discussion.

\---  

_“Dad!”_

_A little boy, no older than 6 or 7 years old, runs up to a tall, stocking man._

_“Hey there, squirt!” the man leans down, picking the boy up easily. He chuckles, a low rumbly sound, climbing the few short steps leading up to the wooden shack which stood alone amidst the vast desert wilderness with the boy in his arms. “How was school today?”_

_The little boy pouts, averting his eyes._

\---

Keith gasps as the image of his younger self fades out and the inside of Black’s cockpit returns. His heart thuds erratically, taken by surprise by the unexpected scene. It’s been some time since he last thought about his late father and the vision had just been so _real_.

“What was that?” Lance’s voice cuts through.

Keith blinks. “What?”

“You saw it too, right? That kid with the mullet?”

Keith’s eyes practically bug out. “You— you saw that?!”

“Hah! Figured as much. I _knew_ it was you — I’d recognize that mullet anywhere.” He beams proudly. “So, I’m gonna go ahead and guess that you saw the one from before too?”

“…the one on the beach? Yeah.”

“That was Varadero.”

“That—” It hits him then. “ _Holy shit._ ”

“Yuuuup. For some reason, we seem to be seeing into each other’s _memories_.” He wheels a finger around in the air as he contemplates out loud. “I guess it’s kinda like mind-melding… except a lot more vivid and having it happen without needing to poke into each other’s brains.”

“But what’s causing it?”

As if to answer his question, another bright light seeps through his consciousness. 

\---

_Iverson is screaming._

_Hunk, Pidge and Lance have their shoulders hunched and gazes lowered as the angry instructor rants at all of them in front of the entire class before coming to a stop in front of Lance._

_“May I remind you, cadet, that the only reason you’re here is because the best pilot in your year dropped out due to disciplinary issues! Don’t follow in his footsteps!”_

\---

“What the _fuck_?!” Keith exclaims as soon as the scene dissolves.

“God, that was a face I could have gone without seeing,” Lance laments.

“Was the dropout—?”

“You? Yeah.”

“Well, Iverson is an _ass_. Don’t listen to anything he says.”

“Right,” Lance smiles wryly. “Anyway, more importantly, I think we know now what’s causing these… flashbacks. Look at that.”

Keith takes in the huge black star Lance was pointing out in the distance, larger and more prominent than all the rest. Even as they stared, another glow of white was already beginning to envelop the dark matter.

“Damn.” Keith says and braces himself for another hit.

\---

“We need to get out of here.” Lance comments some time later.

“Yeah,” Keith agrees, fiddling with his systems and testing out options. “My scanners are showing multiple large celestial bodies in this area, all of which are emitting large quantities of… that energy you were talking about. But look at this part. There seems to be a clear path here.” He swipes a finger, instantly sending an image of the proposed trajectory to Red. “There is a chance this path could lead to a way out of here. We could try following it.”

“Sounds like a plan, except that we don’t know when that space vacuum cleaner, wherever it’s coming from, decides it wants to rip us another new one.”

“Do we have a choice?”

“No… I guess not.” Lance sighs. “Let’s do it then.”

They timed and arranged themselves so that they were moving in unison, Black on top of Red as they headed towards the path pointed out by Keith, taking utmost care not to break their formation in fears of being separated by any sudden happenings. They were fully aware of the risks they were taking. Traversing an unknown part of the galaxy without a proper grasp of what was around them was simply suicide. With their systems out of commission and no Pidge around to tell them any better, they were literally flying blind. But what other options did they have? Without an effective way of communicating with anyone outside, they were on their own.

As they carefully entered the path Keith had marked out, dodging all kinds of space debris along the way, they set a course for their Lions and started their drift through the selected path. They stayed alert while moving along, wary of any more surprises coming their way. With all of their focus going towards the task at hand, they soon fell into silence. It wasn’t an uncomfortable one by any means but Keith couldn’t help feeling tense.

Ever since that day on Skarmbande, this is the general reaction Keith has whenever he’s with Lance, especially when it was just the two of them.

Contrary to what others might think, Keith wasn’t as emotionally inept as he might appear to be. He’s not an expert, of course, but at the very least, he _was_ in touch with his own feelings. He _has_ had crushes before and he _does_ stop to take a second look whenever he sees a cute boy. So when his heart started racing, stomach flipping and face heating whenever Lance got a little too close, he was quick to put the pieces together.

He knew what attraction was and this was it.

Acceptance came quickly after awareness and together with it, the horrifying embarrassment. If someone had told him months ago that he would find Lance _attractive_ , he would have laughed in their faces and spat on their shoes at the incredulity of the notion. It’s not that _liking_ Lance was a problem, it’s just that Lance wasn’t quite his… type. Lance was loud and the heart of the party, whereas Keith liked his privacy and solace. He would have never expected himself to be attracted to someone like Lance.

Soon after, acceptance made way to resolve as he came to terms with what he felt. He needed to make sure nobody ever found out about this stupid crush he seems to have developed on his teammate. _Ever_. He’s even got his reasons for it all thought out.

First of all, he was pretty sure Lance didn’t swing that way. Lance had always been a huge flirt around girls (not boys) and he and Allura had a _thing_ going on. Secondly, they were in the middle of a war and the time wasn’t right. Things could go wrong very, very quickly and Keith already had enough on his plate with his taking on the role of the head of Voltron and Lance certainly had his share of responsibilities too, so there just wasn’t any space left for other things. Thirdly, Keith was absolutely positive Lance only saw him as a friend.

Keith recalls the day of the Hax incident. Seeing Lance so miserable and low had done things to him and something inside snapped, which resulted in him spewing a bunch of stuff about how _great_ he thought Lance was (just thinking about it now gave him hives. What had he been _thinking_?). Fortunately, Lance himself didn’t seem to think much of it, thanking Keith for the support and by the time the rest of the team returned, they were back to their usual playful taunting.

They were Keith and Lance, fellow paladins and good friends who had each other’s backs. Nothing more. It was a fact Keith had accepted since realizing what these feelings meant.

It was just a small crush, anyway. He’d get over it soon enough.

“Oh no, incoming.” Lance’s voice breaks through Keith’s musings.

Keith braced himself as the now familiar glow beams outward from the same dark star. This has happened so many times by now but he still felt a resistance just before being taken in. Not that he minded sharing bits of his past with Lance but he didn’t like that it was being forcibly shown in this manner. Given a choice, he would have liked to share these experiences with Lance in his own terms. Not like this. These were his most intimate memories and he had never shared them with anyone before.

The now familiar white light flashes.

\---

_“Why would anyone give me flowers?”_

_“B..because it’s Valentine’s day?”_

_“Sorry, but I’m not into that kind of thing. Thanks for the delivery but you can return those to the girl who sent it. Tell her I’m not interested.”_

\---

There was utter silence.

Keith clears his throat. “Was that…?” His voice is uncertain, careful. He’s not sure he saw what he thought he saw.

“Yeah,” Lance’s voice is even, as careful as Keith’s.

“I… never realized that was _you_. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“And what would that do? You clearly didn’t remember me so does it even matter?”

Keith couldn’t deny that. While it was true he hadn’t remembered, he _did_ have some recollection of a puny kid trying to deliver a gift to him long ago. He just never realized that puny kid was _Lance_. Why had Lance been playing delivery boy anyway?

“I guess you’re right,” he sighs, deciding to drop the subject.

These visions were starting to get tiresome. They needed to get out of here as soon as possible.

He glances at his controls and the still rapidly fluctuating readings, making it impossible to pinpoint anything. Nope. No help there.

“Man, I almost forgot how much of an asshole you used to be.” Lance remarks, obviously still thinking about their latest flashback.

“…glad you’ve been reminded.”

“Don’t take it the wrong way, man! I meant it as a compliment. You’re… much better now.”

“Thanks, I guess?”

“Welcome. Never would have imagined I’d say this one day but… you’re alright, Kogane. You can be a good friend when you want to be.”

Something in Keith’s chest twinges unexpectedly. Keith frowns, willing for it to go away.

“Yeah.”

They travel silently for the next several minutes, following the marked out trail closely.

When another white light assaults them, they were already ready for it.

\--- 

_The sun was high in the sky, the humidity of summer on Varadero apparent as the large crowd of people on the beach dressed in swimsuits, tank tops, beach shorts or other beach paraphernalia frolicked across the powdery white sand, sunbathing, playing beach sports, eating ice cream and just generally enjoying themselves under the shining rays._

_“Heads up!” a female voice cries out just before she slam dunks the volleyball right over the net, sending it careening straight into the ground past a flailing Lance who was in mid-jump._

_“Score!!!”_

_When he lands on the ground, Lance bends forward with hands on his knees, panting before gulping down a breath and jerking upright, finger pointed accusingly at the long-haired girl. “That’s cheating! Foul, foul!”_

_A whistle blows. A tall man clad in a matching Hawaiian themed T-shirt and shorts claps his hands for attention. “No foul! Match resumes!”_

_“Fuck you, Marco, you’re ALWAYS on Rachel’s side!”_

_“Are you challenging the referee?”_

_“Shut up!” a girl with shoulder-length hair and spectacles hisses, jabbing Lance in the side. “Unless you want to be thrown off the game!”_

_“Ow, ow, okay, okay I get it! Stop that!”_

_Rachel high-fives another similarly bronze-skinned young man behind her before turning to laugh and wink cheekily at Lance. “You snooze you lose!”_

_Lance growls just as an older lady with striking blue ocean eyes and bronze skin emerges from the crowd of bodies on the beach with two younger children in tow, both of whom were chasing each other and circling around her, squealing in delight the whole time. “All right all of you, come get your grub!” The lady points behind her with a thumb._

_Pandemonium ensues as all volleyball players and referee rush for the spread of food laid out on the picnic mat behind._

\---

Blinking back into the present was more jarring this time than the others. The memory had obviously been Lance’s and had a vastly different feel from all the rest before this.

Lance bursts out laughing. “Fuck, that reminds me how much I miss them.”

“That was your family?”

“The one and only McClains. That was our annual beach picnic from last summer. Crazy bunch, huh?”

“You realize you’re one of them?”

“And I stand by my words.” Lance grins through the screen before his expression glazes over, melting into a melancholic faraway look. A fond smile remained on the edges of his lips. 

A strange calm washes over Keith at the sight. Unlike Lance, he didn’t have a large family or rather, no family since his dad had passed. But watching Lance’s family members play ball, teasing and jabbing at each other like that, all of them obviously sharing a close bond with each other – it warmed Keith’s heart.

“They seem like nice people.”

“They are.”

“You’re really lucky to have them.”

Lance pauses and Keith can literally feel Lance’s sharp gaze swiveling to him and piercing through the divide of their screens. It made him feel self-conscious.

“Say, Keith?” Lance asks, tentative.

“Yeah?”

“…would you like to meet them?”

 “…what?” Did he hear right? Was Lance inviting him to meet his… _family_?

Lance shrugs. “Yeah. I mean, you’ve already heard so much about them from me it’s kinda like you already know them. So, I figure, why not?”

“…are you sure?”

“Yeah. You’re one of my best buds, man. I’m sure they’ll love to meet you.”

Keith makes a show of contemplating it for a while. Who was he kidding? He’d known the answer from the moment the question was posed.

“Yeah… yeah, I’d like that. That would be nice.”

The way Lance smiles back in wonder, as if he hadn’t really expected Keith to agree, was making his chest twinge again. Keith clamps down on it, shoving the rebelling part of his heart roughly aside. He didn’t want any stupid thoughts disrupting this moment.

All of a sudden, his Lion begins to rattle. This was followed immediately by an intense pull at the in his lower belly, causing him to lurch forward involuntarily.

The unknown force was back.

“Shit, Keith!”

“Hang on!”

Keith grasps his controls tighter as the force increases in power, the readings on his screen seesawing acutely, the push and pull stretching all of his senses to its extremities like potent magnets pulling him in opposite directions, splinting his insides apart until it was difficult to tell up from down or left from right, perception losing all meaning in the face of such brutal energy.

To make things worse, he could see a white light emanating from the distance.

This couldn’t get any worse.

The white light flashes.

\---

_“We are not going anywhere!” Shiro shouts as he charges right at Keith._

\---

Keith’s eyes snap open, stricken.

“Lance! Did you see—?!”

“I know! But we’ve got more urgent things to worry about right now!”

Keith realizes too late that they had been sucked into the orbit of a nearby dark star which was emitting an eerie red glow and appeared to be flaring and converging in on itself all at the same time. Keith grits his teeth, his Lion straining to the limits with the effort of pulling them out from whatever that was dragging them in, the inside of the cockpit shaking harder than ever as Black’s alarms go off, buzzing ominously.

“Hit maximum thrusters on my go!” Lance yells. Keith was ready before he’d even said it.

_“GO!”_

Flooring the gas, the simultaneous spurt of momentum from both their Lions gave them just that bit of edge needed to break away from the centre of the force dragging them inwards, their Lions toppling off sideways.

“Don’t stop!” Lance urges and they continue to speed away, discarding any attempts at intricate planning and allowing pure instinct to guide them through, dodging all manner of celestial bodies as they tried to get as far away as possible from the mysterious unnamed force they still couldn’t explain.

And then it happens.

_BEEP. BEEP. BEEP._

_“Guys!”_ Pidge’s hollowed voice suddenly crackles to life within Black’s cockpit, the Green Paladin’s face popping up shakily on the screen. _“Thank God! You weren’t showing up on our scanners—”_

“Pidge, we need an extraction now!” Keith cuts her off, relief and hope surging.

“We’re kind of in an emergency right now!” Lance pipes in as their Lions continue to shudder dangerously, remnants of the unknown force still working its magic even at this distance.

_“Right! Allura’s preparing the wormhole! Give us a few ticks!”_

“Hurry!” 

“Arghh, another one!” Lance cries.

_FLASH._

\---

_A soft humming fills the air of the darkened living room, shadows bobbing along the pastel-coloured walls as the fire burning in the hearth bathes the room in a warm, orange glow._

_A lanky, middle-aged man stands beside it, rocking a bundle in his arms as he continues to hum gently. The humming stops when it is interrupted by the noisy clanking of keys against door and the man looks up, revealing eyes the shade of a shimmering ocean and he smiles like the sun, opening his mouth in greeting._

\---

Keith jolts back to the present just as Pidge’s voice bursts through his comms, clearer than before. And then he sees it.

 _The Castle of Lions_.

The team was here.

“Get in!” Pidge calls urgently. “This isn’t a safe place! We’re wormholing right back out!”

Keith and Lance didn’t need telling twice. Now that the danger of being separated was less of an issue, they extricated themselves, both Lions hurtling towards the Castle. As soon as they were inside, Allura wormholes them safely away.

Keith leans back against his seat and breathes a huge sigh of relief now that they were finally out of danger.

Unfortunately, there won’t be time to rest. They needed to deal with these ‘visions’ and figure out what it implied. It was obvious that the last two were _not_ memories. That man in the living room, that had been an older version of Lance. And the one before that – _Shiro_.

Keith didn’t know what all of this meant. There was just so much to unpack.

Shaking himself out of it, he jumps out of Black and heads straight for Red’s hangar.

Now that they were back with the team, they can start figuring things out.

But only after he's made sure Lance was okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dudes, I know nothing about astronomy. Hope this chapter made some modicum of sense anyway. Also, has anyone spotted something… missing?


	12. Heartbeat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team are at a ball. The team gets involved in Lance and Keith's 'relationship'. What does Lance think?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any rights to Voltron or its characters. This is a fan-work.

Lance pulled at the elbow-length sleeves of the traditional Altean formalwear he currently donned, a silky long coat the colour of midnight embroidered with silver trimmings and hanging off his shoulders, reaching down to the backs of his knees; complete with white dress shirt and baby blue waistcoat on top of pure white formal pants and dress shoes. He tried to look casual (and not out of place) in the large ballroom filled with aliens of every shape and size – most were off to the sides, chatting in unfamiliar lilts and drinking Nunvil, but there were a bunch of pink-skinned aliens with long legs (as long and slim as a giraffe’s except they only had two instead of four and how were they even keeping their balance?) who had already taken to the dance floor located in the heart of the ballroom, gyrating to the sounds of soft tinkling like a thousand crystal balls on a xylophone playing in the background. It was interesting to note that alien social events weren’t too different from those on Earth.

Team Voltron have been working hard lately to gather allies for the fight against the Galra – an effort which Allura spearheaded and supported by the numerous planets and communities whose lives team Voltron had already touched. The war was a long one and they needed all the help they could get, thus, the birth of the Coalition, an organization with a focus on efforts to end the war and bring peace to the universe.

The people of the planet they were currently on had just graciously agreed to lend their hand towards the Coalition’s cause and so, the reigning powers of their new ally decided to throw a formal party to celebrate the new union, which naturally, the team was obliged to turn up for. At first, attending a party in the middle of a war was a bizarre experience for the paladins but as time wore on and they gathered more allies, they quickly realized that social events would be a norm – all these alien planets always insisted on some sort of celebration, something the team had long put aside in the larger scheme of things. But here they were now – decked out in suits and enjoying themselves in a ballroom without a care for the rest of the world for this one brief moment. 

Considering the situation Lance found himself in just under a month ago, this was quite the knee-jerking change.

Almost a month had passed since he and Keith had escaped their harrowing ordeal at that strange dark place – Pidge called it the “Quantum Abyss.” After several long team discussions where they repeatedly relived their experience and shared the ‘visions’ they had seen (not all of them, just the important ones), Pidge had inferred that the ‘force’ they felt was due to intense gravitational pulls caused by the sheer amount of dark matter concentrated in one area of the galaxy which then also led to time and space collapsing and hence explaining the reason for the ‘visions’ they saw or something along those lines, Lance still didn’t really get it. What he _did_ get was that _something_ there had created such a mess of time and space that he and Keith had gotten glimpses of their past and future; and that the Quantum Abyss was an extremely dangerous place and they were _very_ lucky to have escaped it relatively unharmed.

The good news from all of this was they finally have confirmation that _Shiro was still out there_. Keith was certain that particular ‘vision’ hadn’t happened before in the past, though neither of them could remember much detail other than Shiro’s (for some reason) angered face – Keith mentioned seeing purple in the background (like the Galra’s purple) but he wasn’t sure so that didn’t lead anywhere. Regardless, the team was more hopeful than ever now to find Shiro. They vowed it.     

As for the other ‘vision’ – the one with what was obviously an older version of himself; Lance had to admit, he was pleasantly surprised. Being in an intergalactic space war had given rise to doubt that he would have any sort of future but this vision had clearly shown him that he would have one, and with a family to boot (as long as nothing got messed up along the way, Pidge had caveated, and does that mean they do eventually manage to win the war? No one really knew for sure). Either way, the possibility alone was reassuring and sometimes, in the middle of the night, he lied in bed wondering how it would happen and who he’d be starting a family with. He had a strong feeling the person behind the clanking keys in that ‘vision’ was someone _important_ but unfortunately, it had cut off right before he could find out who it was. The inopportune timing was a shame yet a blessing. This way, at least there were still some surprises left for him to discover and experience. Nonetheless, this new knowledge certainly made Lance all the more eager to find out what else life had in store for him.   

Despite the shocking revelations from the Quantum Abyss and once everyone had gotten past the initial thrill, life quickly went back to normal with Galra fighting and hunting Lotor still at the forefront of the team’s priorities. The team was still shaky with their teamwork but they were taking great strides forward as Keith, Lance and Allura grew more and more comfortable in their new positions. With renewed confidence, they doubled their efforts to locate Lotor and more recently, sharpened their focus on gathering allies for the Coalition. While the Quantum Abyss had served some useful reminders and invaluable insight, the past was in the past, the future remains yet unseen and the present is where they needed to live in.

“What’s with that look on your face?” Lance jumps out of his skin at the sudden voice whispering into his ear and whips around to see a chuckling Allura.

“Allura, don’t sneak up on me like that!”

“Stay sharp, Lance. If you allowed me to come up so close without realizing it, then your guard was down.”

“Really? That’s what you gotta say after almost giving me a heart attack?”

Allura laughs melodically at Lance’s affronted look. “Alright, I’m sorry. You just looked so deep in thought I wondered if you would even notice if anyone were to speak to you. I didn’t mean to surprise you so badly.”

“Please. I’ve had enough surprises in the Quantum Abyss to last me a lifetime.”

“Indeed, it would seem that way.” She falls into step beside Lance, who had been standing by one of the ballroom’s pillars, in a secluded corner away from everyone else. There is a glint in her eyes as she casts him a contemplative look and suddenly, he regrets everything. He shouldn’t have brought up the Quantum Abyss.

He was proven right immediately.

“Was that what you were thinking about? The Quantum Abyss?”

 “No.”

“Really?”

Lance doesn’t answer. Instead, he makes a show of brushing at the specks of dust and lint that had gotten stuck to the silky material of his coat but of course, Allura isn’t one to be so easily fooled.

“Or rather, maybe you were thinking about the _other things_ that happened in there?” she continues casually, the shrewd smile on her face belying her seemingly bored tone, as if she was talking about the weather. “I mean, I know we’ve talked about it, about Shiro and the rest of the important details you’ve shared but you can’t fool me, Lance. I _know_ something more must have happened. Even the rest of the team must sense it! But both of you have been so secretive, I wonder why is that?”

Lance groans. Not this again. “Don’t you have some diplomats to talk to?” he deflects.

“I do but I think I deserve a little break to talk to my fellow teammate.” Allura smiles, mimicking Lance’s gesture and idly brushing at the shimmery material of the beautiful pink gown she wore, bell cuffs fanning open elegantly as she moved. “As I am spending my very valuable break time with you, the least you could do for me is spill the fluto beans.”

“There aren’t any fluto beans to spill.”

“Do you really expect me to believe that? With the way the two of you have been acting?”

“Acting like?”

“Acting like a pair of lovesick teenagers, that’s what,” a third voice quips without warning and making both Lance and Allura jump. They must have both let their guard down if they allowed someone to creep up so closely behind; Lance eyes Allura at this but the Altean princess refused to meet his gaze. Fortunately (or not), it was just Pidge.

When the shock passes and the words sink in, Lance was indignant. “Hey, wait! We are _not_ acting like lovesick teenagers.”  

A loud snort resounds and Lance turns once more to see Hunk joining their little group, a plate of hors’d oeuvres in one hand, grinning like the cat who just ate the canary (or three). “Lance, please. You’re not kidding anyone.”

“I’m not trying to?”

“Oh. Then you’re just being dense.”

“Hunk?!” Lance gapes. “My buddy, my man? Not you too?! You’re not in with this nonsense, are you?!”

“I’m just saying it as I see it, dude.”

Allura bursts into laughter. “Glad to know I’m not the only one who’s picked up on all these signals.”

“Oh, you’re definitely not alone, Allura,” Pidge says with a mischievous grin, pushing her glasses further up the bridge of her nose. “We’ve been noticing it too.”

“I’ve been telling him for ages that he and Keith would be good for each other! It’s good to have some support.”

“I don’t know about being good for each other but Lance has _definitely_ been acting different lately and for the longest time, we were trying to figure out what it was. We noticed he stopped flirting some time ago but didn’t think much of it – I thought he was finally starting to grow up or something but then a couple of months ago, _you_ started hanging around Lance! I gotta admit, we were confused there for a bit, eh, Hunk?”

“Oh yeah, totally. We wondered if something happened between you guys – like if maybe, against all our predictions, you decided to date one another.” Hunk says as he munched on appetizers, pointing at the air with a clean bone shaped like the letter ‘B’.

“ _Except_ that it didn’t feel like you were dating – Lance always seemed so defensive and you were always laughing it off and it just reminded me of Matt…” Pidge trails off at the mention of her still-missing brother before she quickly shakes her head and the playful expression is back. “Anyway, we knew then it _couldn’t_ have been the kind of relationship we thought it was.”

“And then _Hax_ happened and something clicked!”

“Man, it hit us like a sock in the jaw! There’s this really palpable tension between you two ever since, or maybe it started from earlier, God knows with you idiots, and it’s just been getting _worse_. We’d have to be blind not to see it!”

“It’s the _romance_ _of the spaces_!”

“Oh my God, you guys. Please.” Lance rolls his eyes, cutting them off before they could go on with their preposterous narrative. He glares at his teammates and so-called ‘friends’, the two of them dressed in similar-looking garments, only in various shades of yellow and green, both wearing knowing smirks on their faces and infuriating Lance further. “Okay, seriously. That’s enough. This is getting ridiculous.”

But none of them were listening.

“To be honest, Keith threw me in for a loop at first when Allura popped up in his brain once during mind-melding. Almost gave me an aneurysm, that! He’s never seemed interested in anyone before and especially not _girls_ so why was he seeing _Allura_ in his head?!” Pidge commented, turning to look at Allura who just shrugged and shook her head.  “But now, with all the pieces assembled, I’ve got it all figured out! Allura, you knew about it all along, didn’t you? That’s why you’ve been pestering Lance.”

At this, Allura smiled and nods. “I noticed how… _close_ they were a few phoebs back, yes.”

“You’ve got all _what_ figured out?” Lance needles between them, eyes narrowed at Pidge. He gave Allura a slightly friendlier look. At least she’d kept her promise about not telling anyone about his… old flame; though obviously she was still severely _misguided_ about his and Keith’s relationship.

“Oh, don’t pretend!” Hunk knocks an elbow against Lance’s back, causing the slighter boy to stagger forward. “Haven’t you noticed?”

“Noticed _what_?”

“Keith has been making googly eyes at you.”

Lance almost chokes on his own spit. “ _What_!? That is the _most_ — Keith has _not_ been making googly eyes at me!” His words are stuttered and broken at the absurdity of it. No way, that didn’t sound like Keith at all!

“Yes, he has!” Pidge interjects. “And the reason Allura was in his head was because he was _jealous_ at how close the two of you are!”

“Wh— _at_?!” Lance half-chokes and half-laughs. The idea of it was just SOOOO farfetched; he couldn’t decide whether to laugh or to be mortified.

“It’s no use.” Allura sighs. “He won’t believe a word of it. See what I’ve had to put up with?”

“Don’t worry, Allura, we got your back now.”  

“Pleased to know that.”

“Guys, guys, _listen_!” Lance bursts out, glancing around nervously to make sure no one else was listening in and dropping his volume by one notch, just in case. “There’s absolutely no basis for this. And you know why? Because it’s _not_ true and you’re reading everything all wrong! Keith is just being a good leader and looking out for _everyone_. I’m his right-hand man! Of course he’s gonna look to me for support! Nothing special happened in Hax – nothing funny happened in the Quantum Abyss and it’s just— _nothing_! I know it might seem weird because of how we started off but we’re friends now! Yeah! Just _friends_! There’s nothing _weird_ going on! And definitely not what— whatever you guys are thinking!”

“No, no, you don’t get it, Lance,” Hunk shakes his head mournfully. “It’s not just that.”

“No, _you_ don’t get it! All of you!” Lance huffs and promptly gives up, frustrated. He lashes out. “This is dumb! I’m going to go get myself some _Nunvil_.”

“Suit yourself,” Pidge shrugs lazily, unperturbed in the slightest. “Not gonna continue reasoning with someone who doesn’t want to listen to reason.”

“Hardy-har-har,” Lance shoots back sarcastically before pulling at the collar of his midnight blue coat and stalking away moodily. No one stopped him, Allura and Pidge merely shrugged at each other and Hunk looked a little guilty but didn’t say anything.   

Seriously, were all of them _for real_? It was bad enough when it was just Allura egging him on and now Pidge and Hunk were jumping on the bandwagon too?

Lance shakes his head with a sigh, heading for the refreshments area.

He had barely gotten past his first sip of Nunvil (still as horribly gag-inducing as ever), when another teammate sidles up to where he stood just by the punch table.

“That’s a long face if I’ve ever seen one. What seems to be the matter, m’boy?” Coran asks brightly, a cup of Nunvil in his own hand. He was dressed in similar clothing to Lance and the other paladins but with no waistcoat and a grey tailcoat instead.

“Oh, it’s just you, Coran,” Lance was relieved.

“Why? Were you waiting for someone else?” Coran leaned in to whisper scandalously. “Perhaps _Keith_?” He says, with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Lance almost spits out the Nunvil he’d just been sipping. “Oh my God, not you too!” Slapping a hand to his forehead, he almost spills the contents of his still full cup all over the pristine tiles of the ballroom floor.

“Did I say something wrong?” Coran looked so genuinely concerned then that Lance decided to tell him the truth.

“It’s… it’s just that the team has been teasing me about Keith, and now you are too.”

“Well, you and number four certainly seem to enjoy each other’s company a lot lately.”

“Coran!”

“Alright, alright. But you gotta admit, you boys have gotten way closer compared to before. I still remember the day you both buried your Lions into the ground over some silly competition!” He snorts, pulling at the edge of his orange moustache as he reminisced.

“I’m… not gonna deny that we were a little stupid back then, but that’s all in the past! We’re a team now, and Keith’s the leader.”

“Right you are, m’boy! And you’ve both gotten over your differences and are a _great_ team. So what seems to be the problem? I rather think this is a welcome development.”

“It is,” Lance struggled to explain. “It’s just… it’s more than just getting over some ‘differences.’ Allura and the others seem to think that we… that Keith, maybe, has a _thing_ for me.”

Coran waits for Lance to elaborate. When Lance didn’t, he leaned forward again, blinking curiously. “Annnnd?”

“And I just don’t think so! It’s ridiculous! And like, really? Keith’s never shown interest in anyone before, so why would he now? And why _me_?”

“Well, that’s hard to say, Lance. The matters of the heart are a very delicate matter. I’m sure the princess and the rest of them have their reasons for saying what they did.”

“Sure. To make fun of me.”

“I don’t believe the princess is one to ‘make fun’ of people without a valid reason.” Coran shakes his head but Lance isn’t convinced. He hadn’t thought Allura was the nosy type either but look where they were now!

“Right…” Lance paused and considered the possibilities. The mere thought that Keith might like him frazzled his brain but if so many of their other teammates saw it that way, then, could it actually be… true?

Lance gulps, feeling his hands turn cold and breath quicken.   

“Coran,” Lance begins, looking up at the elderly figure who was like an uncle to him. The one he had first went to when he was homesick and who had always spared him a listening ear whenever Lance needed it. 

“Yes, m’boy?”

“Do _you_ think that Keith might have… _feelings_ , for me?”

Coran regards him with a serious expression, wise eyes glinting knowingly, his face creased with lines which told of all the knowledge that came with the length of time he’s lived. “Well, if you ask me, Lance, it’s much more important to figure out what _you_ are feeling. Not the other way around. That’s where you should start.”

Lance stares at him in wonder.

Of course.

It was such a simple thing – rather than worrying about what Keith felt, he should be asking himself what _he_ felt.

How could he ask about others, when he still didn’t know _himself_. Coran was right. 

“You’re right, Coran… thanks. Gosh, I can’t believe I didn’t think of it that way.”

“No worries!” Coran strikes a thumbs-up pose before edging away towards the dance floor, placing his now-empty cup of Nunvil on a nearby side-table. “Anyways, if you don’t mind, I’ve gotta run now! Have a dance date with a Crabelouphant!”

Lance didn’t have time to say anything more before the older Altean disappeared, jogging towards one of those pink giraffe-legged aliens and joining them in something of a fast-paced jig in the middle of the dance floor, their bodies moving in time with the tinkling music filling the air.

Now that he was alone again, Lance sighed for the nth time. He would take Coran’s advice – he needed to sort out his own feelings first. That should be the way. And if that’s the case, then the first question he had to ask himself was: what _did_ he feel for Keith?

Right on cue, the man of the night (for Lance anyway, having been badgered about him all night long now) waltzes into the ballroom. The one and only _Keith Kogane_.

Keith was dressed in similar clothing too, except the coat he had on was a ruby red with gold trimmings and the sleeves ran all the way down to his wrists (he still had his fingerless gloves on), his waistcoat was the colour of merlot coupled with black formal pants and dress shoes. He’d even gone the extra mile and pulled that silly mullet up into a ponytail.

In short, Keith looked absolutely _stunning_ tonight. 

Lance feels a thump in his chest. He starts, surprised by his own reaction.

Keith had just passed through the entrance of the ballroom and seemed to be looking around for a familiar face. Earlier, he had been caught in an important call with Kolivan and had stayed behind to finish up whilst the others got ready for the party. Lance watched as Keith scanned the crowd around him before he turned, as if in slow-motion, to face Lance and almost immediately, those deep purples zone in on Lance and stayed, like a homing device latched onto its target. The deep purples seemed to sparkle when recognition dawned and Keith’s face split into a smile of relief and… something else.

Lance feels another thump as he watches Keith pushing his way through the crowd and making a beeline straight for him, proving what the others had said earlier. Keith was choosing to come to Lance, all on his own. Lance’s hands were turning clammy now, his heart beginning to race. He chides himself, willing his heart to stay put. What the hell was wrong with it?

“Hey,” Keith greets when he makes it through the crowd and is standing right next to Lance.

“Hey,” Lance says back, as casually as he can, trying not to shiver at the deep tone Keith was using to speak (really, what the hell was wrong with him tonight? And had Keith’s voice always been that low?) “Done with the call?”

“Yeah. Sorry I took so long.”

“Nah. You’re busy. It couldn’t be helped.”

“Yeah…”

Silence fell between them and Lance feels suddenly uncomfortable. He’s _never_ felt truly uncomfortable around Keith, at least not for a long time anyway, so why would this be happening now? He blamed Allura and the rest for putting bothersome ideas in his head.

For lack of anything better to say yet needing to fill the silence, he says the first thing he can think of.

“Nice clothes.”

And promptly kicks himself. That was so _lame_. All of the paladins were literally wearing the same thing except in different colours so what was he even trying to say?

Regardless, Lance is caught by surprise when the colour on Keith’s face deepens. “Thanks. Uh… you look… good… too.”

Lance’s heart thumps for the third time. Or is it fourth now? He’s losing count.

“Um, yeah. You too, man.”

What. The. _Fuck_.

Had Keith just complimented his _looks_? The gears of his mind began to turn, slowly at first and then picking up speed and suddenly, he wasn’t so sure that everything Allura and the others had been saying was so unbelievable after all.

Lance must have been staring at him oddly because Keith started to shuffle his feet around self-consciously.

“Where are the rest?” Keith asks, probably in an attempt to get Lance to stop staring. It works.

Lance blinks himself out of his daze and forces himself to look unseeingly at the dance floor instead. “Oh, they’re around. Allura’s probably trying to make more new friends in the name of diplomacy or something; Pidge is probably trying to cause trouble somewhere, we really should keep an eye on that demon; Hunk’s probably at the buffet table sampling all the food to recreate later and Coran’s— ah, there he is.” Lance points at one corner of the dance floor where Coran could be seen dancing vigorously. “He’s dancing with the crab-elephant, or whatever he called it.”

Keith scrunches his nose, watching as Coran flurried around the same pink giraffe-legged alien from before as it twirled daintily around in time with Coran’s firmly planted moves.

“Uh, that looks fun… I guess.”

“Oh?” Lance quirks an eyebrow, the familiar urge to tease Keith filling him and he momentarily forgets about his inner musings. Keith always gave such easy openings. “Are you planning to dance?”

“What?! No!” Keith resists immediately, wide-eyed. “I don’t dance.”

“ _Don’t_ dance or _can’t_ dance?”

“I said I _don’t_ —”

“Aw, don’t be such a prude!” a third voice interrupts for the billionth time that night and Lance feels like tossing himself off the balcony right now.

“Pidge, what do you want now?” Lance can barely keep the annoyance out of his voice, narrowing his eyes at her before his face goes pale. Surely she’s not here to say anything _stupid_ in front of Keith… right?

As if she could read his mind, Pidge gives him a dirty look before turning right back to Keith. From behind her back (where Keith couldn’t see), she stuck out her middle finger at Lance. In return, Lance glared at her turned back.

“I don’t _want_ anything from you.” Pidge says, without even looking at him. “It’s Keith that I want.”

“Me? What would you want from me?”

Pidge’s grin is wicked and suddenly Lance is very afraid for Keith. “I want you to dance, of course!”

“Oh no, I don’t dance.”

“Oh, come on!” Hunk appears timely from behind Keith then, grabbing him by the shoulders.

Keith’s expression turns stricken. “Hunk, no really, I—”

“But _nothing_! Let’s go!” Hunk doesn’t wait a second longer and pushes at a now panicking Keith, winking at Lance along the way before tilting his head towards the dance floor. “Come on, Lance, it’ll be fun! _Team-bonding!_ ”

Regardless of how it came about and what transpired before then, who was Lance to say no to that?

They arrived in the middle of the dance floor just as the tinkling music switched into something edgier – something a little closer to techno but with more bop in the tune than the one before. Hunk and Pidge whoop and started bouncing around, striking various poses and ‘dance moves’ that Lance had never seen in his life but were funny and eye-catching and matched the timing of the music so it worked anyway.

Lance couldn’t help himself. Soon enough, he was joining in on the fun and the three burst out laughing at each other’s freakish ‘moves’, allowing their troubles to be washed away in the moment. Except for Keith, who stood still as a statue in between them, lost and looking ready to bolt until Lance pulled at his arm and gestured for him to join in. Keith shook his head adamantly, mouthing a soft “I can’t” but Lance isn’t hearing it.

“Just follow our lead,” he whispers into Keith’s ear. “Look at Hunk!”

For some reason, their crazy moves had attracted a few spectators and the surrounding aliens were now stopping to watch them, pure admiration in their eyes at what they believed was some sort of legendary dance ritual originating from the home planet of the paladins. Some of the aliens had even hopped on the wave, joining in and following Hunk and Pidge as they moved and their little group swiftly grew as more and more aliens came forth. Even Allura and Coran had joined in, after noticing the commotion in the middle of the dance floor, and the air quickly filled with raucous whoops and laughter as everyone danced to their hearts content, creating their own moves in the spirit of the moment.

“Come on!” Lance urged a still reluctant Keith. “Everyone’s doing it!”

Keith looked very, _very_ pained and Lance almost took pity on him and was about to give in when Keith actually started to _move_ , copying whatever the aliens around him were doing, his face a flaming red. Keith was completely stiff and obviously way out of his element. It was awkward.

Lance thinks he’s never seen anything cuter.

Another _thump_.

The music switched again, this time, turning into something comical with horns and trumpets blaring a funky tune and the next thing Lance knew, Hunk was screaming “chicken dance!” and Pidge was groaning out a “noooooo, fuck that!” but it’s too late because the Yellow Paladin was already starting the dance and all of the aliens were following it and it was completely _wack_ because some of the aliens had multiple limbs for arms and feet and some had their limbs long and some short and some none at all, so everyone’s version of the ‘chicken dance’ was simply _outrageous_. And Keith, who had been mimicking Hunk’s steps closely, suddenly bursts out laughing for the first time that night as he watched Hunk and the group of aliens around him trying to copy his funny-looking moves.

_THUMP. THUMP. THUMP._

Lance can only stare and thank goodness Keith (and the rest of the team) was distracted now because Lance is standing and not moving and he thinks he might be blushing because GOD it’s hot in here, and he doesn’t just mean under his collar, he means everywhere and especially his face.

The earlier conversation with the others replays in his mind and now, he couldn’t stop wondering.

_What does he feel for Keith?_

As Keith continues to laugh, pulling his own moves now that he’s gained some confidence and ‘dancing’ between Allura and Pidge (seemingly less rigid now that he’s more relaxed), and Lance feels his heart beating harder for no specific reason other than the thoughts in his mind that were going “Keith is beautiful” and “gee, he has a really nice laugh” and Lance thinks this is bad, bad, BAD because he’s _already_ been through this before and he _knows_ nothing good will come off it so he _mustn’t_ indulge in impossible fantasies.

Keith turns to him then and Lance’s train of thought dies as Keith frowns (probably because Lance is standing there looking like a petrified puppy) and gestures for Lance to join them with a quirk of his eyebrow and a charming little tilt of his head.

Lance does.

As everyone continued to dance and laugh merrily, arms around each other’s shoulders – team Voltron huddled close together doing a sort of line-dance now with made up steps – and as Lance turns to Keith, who has his arms around Lance’s shoulders and is laughing with abandon, purple irises sparkling; he feels the truth beginning to dawn like sunrise after dark, still shrouded in thick clouds, the answer peeking out but only barely, the shadows still obscuring it from view. Lance would have liked to clear the sky once and for all but he couldn’t, something inside him telling him otherwise, telling him not to cross that line. Lance is standing right at the edge but doesn’t quite cross over, too terrified to defy the voice telling him to stand his ground. So he stands unmoving, albeit the shaky terrain and widening cracks threatening to throw him over at any point of time anyway.

But still. _Man_.

Keith was _lovely_ today.

And Lance would be lying if he said that the thumping he was still feeling in his chest had nothing to do with it.     

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one takes the cake at more than 5.2k words. Oof.


End file.
